Last Updated on May 21, 2024
Stories about instant karma are so satisfying, aren’t they? If you have good karma, then god bless you for being a good guy. You have nothing to worry about.
But if you go out of your way to do all the wrong things and bully people then you know that bad karma is out to get you.
We have a collection of short stories that will show you why it pays to be a decent person. These stories will remind you why it’s better to be good to others and that there’s really no reason not to be.
With all of that said, here are stories about real people who have done great deeds and were greatly rewarded for doing so.
Billy Ray Harris
One of the best stories about karma comes out of Kansas City.
Billy Ray Harris was a homeless old man who often roamed the streets holding an empty cup and asking strangers for spare change.
At one point, a woman named Sarah Darling gave him some money. But as she reached into the cup to drop some loose change, her engagement ring fell into the cup as well without her knowledge.
When Harris found the ring, he was tempted to sell it. He went as far as having it appraised. It was valued at $4,000. However, Harris couldn’t get himself to do it. In the end, he decided to return the ring to Darling after bumping into her a few days later.
But this story doesn’t end there.
Darling and her husband were so touched that they decided to start a crowdfunding campaign with a goal of $1,000 to help Harris get his life back on track. But what the couple didn’t expect was the outpouring of support for Harris’ good deed. They were so moved that they donated more than what was necessary.
After running the crowdfunding campaign, Darling was able to raise more than $190,000.
Darling got in touch with a lawyer who set up a trust for Harris. The money ended up toward Harris’ home and car. He’s now using the rest of it to fix himself up.
The story caught mainstream attention so Harris was soon featured on the news. And thanks to the exposure, Harris’ family and friends—who hadn’t seen him for 16 years—were able to track him down. All that time, they thought Harris was dead.
Harris is now happily reunited with his family.
Source: Today
While it could be tempting to cash in on your good fortune, it’s always better to do the right thing no matter how hard you’re struggling.
John Galvin
John Galvin offered to fix the guitar of his friend Eric Cochrane. Eric’s kid was having health problems the week the guitar broke down so John said he’d make the repairs for free.
Eric wasn’t comfortable with the idea so he offered to pay John $40. But John would have none of it.
So Eric used the $40 to buy lottery tickets instead. He told John that if he won $1 million, he will split the winnings with him equally.
As luck would have it, the father ended up winning $1 million that day.
Even better, he stayed true to his word. The two friends split the winnings.
Source: ABC 7
Moral of the Story
Helping out a friend in need earns you their loyalty and respect. You’ll get rewarded for being nice to your friends and family.
Louis Galvan
Louis Galvan is the owner of a Houston restaurant called Irma’s. But because of the pandemic, he was having trouble keeping his business afloat. He was worried that his employees won’t earn enough.
Then the lockdowns came. And the restaurant was forced to shift to a takeout-only model. That meant some of his employees won’t be able to work for 15 to 30 days. Galvan was struggling to make sure that everyone has a consistent paycheck.
In Galvan’s own words: “We’re not even worried about profitability at this point. We’re in survival mode.”
But as he was making the announcement to his crew, an elderly couple—who were regulars at the restaurant—overheard everything while waiting for dinner.
The couple spent $90 on food. But they left $1,900 in cash plus $7,500 as a tip. In total, the couple left $9,400.
Galvan was shocked. On the receipt, Galvan found a note that says: “Hold tip to pay your guys over the next few weeks.”
Everyone in the restaurant couldn’t believe it. For his part, Galvan split the tip among his 30 employees. They received roughly $300 each which helped them power through the pandemic — at least for a while.
Moral of the Story
Stay faithful to your employees. Life will find a way to reward you for your efforts.
Emily James
Emily James was—at the time this story takes place—a call center agent for US Bank in Oregon. Her job was to handle customer queries and complaints.
On Christmas eve, she chanced upon a call from a customer named Marc Eugenio. He experienced a glitch that meant his $1,000 paycheck wasn’t going to clear on time. That meant that on Christmas day, he would be broke — he won’t be able to buy his kids presents and won’t be able to afford to pay for living expenses.
At the time of the call, Eugenio was stuck at a gas station with an empty tank.
After talking it over with James, Eugenio said that he wished he had $20 just so he could get home.
Luckily for him, James was only 14 miles away from Eugenio. So on her break, she drove all the way to Eugenio’s house and handed him $20 out of her own pocket. Afterward, James drove back to work.
Everything was fine until New Year’s Eve when the bank caught wind of James’ good deed. Citing a breach of company policy, James was fired from her job alongside her manager who approved the trip.
Things got rough for James.
She did not receive severance so she was unable to collect unemployment benefits. James wasn’t even able to qualify for food stamps. She also had to do without her diabetes medication since she wasn’t able to afford her $2,200-a-month medication — not without medical insurance from her company.
To compensate for her lost income, she sold her plasma and returned used cans.
Things got better after her story received media coverage though. The bank was so embarrassed by the story that they tried offering James and her manager their jobs back but James declined because she was uncomfortable about how she might be treated after the incident.
However, a company called Community First Credit Union was looking for a training specialist when they heard about James’ story. They flew her in for interviews and eventually gave her the position.
James now works for the company and is happy about the position she’s in.
Source: NY Post and North Bay Business Journal
Moral of the Story
Stay true to yourself. Don’t let corporations stop you from being a good samaritan. The universe will find a way to reward your actions.
Bill and Tish Millard
Bill Millard and his wife, Tish, sadly lost their son to an ATV accident. Not wanting his organs to go to waste, they decided to donate them. One of the recipients was Jake MacKinnon who got their son’s pancreas.
Jake MacKinnon is a young boy that struggled with type 1 diabetes since he was five years old. Jake was 19 at the time of the surgery.
Jake’s mom, Janice, was so appreciative of the kind deed that she got in touch with the Millards a few months after the surgery to thank them.
It took that long to contact the Millards because of laws that protect both sides’ privacy. But Janice was insistent that she be able to the Millards. That’s because she knew that they were hurting because of the loss of their son while her son was alive and well.
Janice got their home address and wrote the family a letter. The Millards then sent Janice their contact details. The two families had been close friends ever since.
A decade later, Bill found himself in need of a kidney for he too was battling diabetes.
What he didn’t expect was for Janice to donate her kidneys to Bill as a way of helping the people that gave her son a new lease on life. Her son, after all, grew up to become a healthy young man who’s now married and living his best life. Thank goodness that their blood was compatible.
Hospital officials said that they’ve never seen anything quite like it. They never thought they’d see an organ recipient give back to a donor this way.
The two camps feel like this act of kindness will bring their families even closer than ever before.
Source: SFGate
Moral of the Story
Even if you do a good deed without expecting anything in return, life will find a way to give it all back to you. And doing great things for others is a good way of making friends for life.