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A judge pays a man’s fines after he walks five miles to court with no money to his name. It could have been easy for Daniel Murray to blame his problems on life circumstances. Instead, he took responsibility for his own actions, and in his humility, he was given a gift. 

Daniel is no stranger to parking fines. In fact, he had seven of them. He showed up to his court date a little out of breath and visibly sweating through his shirt. He was respectful to the judge and accepted the consequences that led to all of his parking fines. The total cost of his fines was $250, which Daniel didn’t have. Then Daniel asked a question, “Is there any way that this can be deferred for a little bit? I’m in a little bit of a financial situation,” he said to the judge. 

The judge then asked Daniel what he could pay today. That’s when he learns Daniel has 92 cents to his name and walked five miles to make it to court on time. The judge realized Daniel could use a blessing. The judge then says, “I got a letter this morning from a man named Frank J. Demacio. He wrote, “Now I am on unemployment due to a conflict, but I am enclosing this to add to your fund.” The judge then went on to explain he started the Filomena Fund, which was named after his mother. The funds are used to help people in dire financial situations like Daniel’s. 

Frank sent in $25.00 in cash, and the judge wanted Daniel to use it for an Uber. Daniel was blessed and humbled. At first, he felt like he didn’t deserve it, but the judge insisted on blessing Daniel with a small gift. But then the judge abundantly blesses Daniel. He used the Filomena Fund to cover all of Daniel’s fines and to get his car back too! 

You can tell by the look on Daniel’s face and his demeanor he felt it was undeserved but he was grateful. Before Daniel departs from the court, the judge asks him to pay it forward and show kindness to someone else in need. Kindness is like that. When we show mercy, kindness, and compassion to someone, it is then abundantly multiped and creates a ripple effect in your community. Let’s this judge as a kindness compass that points us to someone in need of help. What an inspiring story! 

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you,” Ephesians 4:32.