A small-time crime in a Virginia neighborhood sparked a big community response when a man robbed a children’s lemonade stand. The Caldwell family, instead of dwelling on the incident, turned it into a powerful message of faith and forgiveness.
During the dog days of summer, 10-year-old Rebecca Caldwell and her 8-year-old brother Joshua were selling lemonade in front of their home in Chesapeake, Virginia, when a stranger seemingly stopped to buy a drink. “He seemed super nice,” Joshua recalled. However, the situation quickly turned when the man stole their $40 in earnings and sped off.
Surveillance footage from the Caldwells’ home shows the man approaching the children’s lemonade stand and grabbing the jar of money while their mother was inside. The family was understandably upset, but rather than harbor resentment, they chose to focus on prayer and forgiveness.
“We prayed for the man who stole our money because I wanted him to become a Christian,” Joshua said. His sister Rebecca echoed this sentiment, saying, “I think it’s better to forgive than always be mad at the guy. Otherwise, you’ll keep thinking back on that day and stay angry.”
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