Woman's Surprise at a Chick-fil-A Drive-Thru Had Quite the Ripple Effect

A good deed can spark a chain reaction of kindness – a lesson Cherie Miller learned last month when she decided to do something special for the car behind her at a Chick-fil-A drive-thru in Temple Terrace, Florida.

Rather than simply paying for her own order and moving on, Miller, whose church was benefitting from the restaurant’s sales on May 19, generously decided to pay for the car behind her.

"It was a way for me to pass on the love of God, and to give someone a surprise," she told WTVT-TV.

What Miller didn’t know at the time was that the act would have a sweeping impact. After the car behind her learned about her good deed, that person decided to do the same thing.

And so did many others.

"She asked to pay it forward and we’ve had that happen before, but never have we had it go that far," local Chick-fil-A marketing director Carmen Fisher told ABC News. "It was incredible that people just kept going. And some people were paying for meals more than their meals cost."

It wasn’t until she returned after forgetting her son's chicken nuggets as the 18th car in the chain of good deeds that restaurant staffers told her about what unfolded.

Then, Miller, who was stunned to hear about the chain reaction she started, did it again, this time sparking 20 additional cars to follow her lead, according to WTVT-TV.

While it was a simple fast-food order, Miller’s acts show the power and influence a simple and positive choice can have on others.

"I just did one thing and the rest of the community took it on from there,” she said, noting that she’s both surprised and encouraged.

(H/T: WTVT-TV)