If you’ve ever been in debt, you’ve probably sat around and daydreamed about what it would be like if someone walked up out of the blue and paid off your debt. How awesome would that be? Maybe your long-lost Uncle George (who you’ve never heard about before) shows up on your doorstep to announce he’s paid one of your debts. Wouldn’t that be nice.
Well, for 8,000 people, that dream came true.
But the uncle’s name was Dave.
This November, Ramsey Solutions bought the debt of 8,000 people from two private debt collection companies and completely forgave it—to the tune of $10 million dollars, to be exact. No strings attached. No contest to enter. No hoops to jump through. Just gone. That’s $10 million of debt wiped out—completely forgiven.
But wait, it gets better . . .
Hello? Your Debt Is Forgiven!
As if that wasn’t amazing enough, each Ramsey Solutions team member got to call and deliver the good news to people! Everyone got the chance to play Santa and spread Christmas cheer to folks outside of our own walls. The best part of all has been hearing the stories that came out of this. On the other end of the phone was a real person with real, everyday struggles. And hearing their powerful stories just blew everyone away.
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One person said, “I strung that thing (the debt) along, just scraping to make payments. It’s one of those things that you’re never gonna pay off because you have current bills and it gets lost in the shuffle.”
She added, “I work in a women’s facility. All I tell these women every day is that it’s going to get better. And you can’t even explain to them how it’s going to get better. But it gets better in ways you’ve never dreamed of . . . like this phone call.”
All Right—So What’s the Catch?
None. Zip. Zilch. Zero.
No product they had to buy. No pledge to swear off debt forever. No promise to budget from here on out. Nothing. By the time we were giving the good news to the person on the phone, the debt had already been paid—free and clear. There was nothing left for them to do but get off the phone, tell their family, and celebrate!
So, by now you’re probably thinking . . . but why?
Why the heck would anyone just scoop up $10 million worth of debt and pay it off just like that? Well, the answer is pretty simple really: to show the love of Jesus Christ. You see, this whole completely forgiving a debt thing has been done before—when the ultimate gift was given. And while no gift could ever compare to that one, this is a small way we could continue to pass on that love.
“We love because he first loved us.” — 1 John 4:19 NIV
It’s no secret that 2020 has been rough. And whether that’s experiencing dumpster fire level 5 or just knowing how downright weird regular life has been—we’ve all felt it in some way. But what better time than Christmas to turn it all around, spread joy, and cap off the year by being a bright beacon of hope. We can all do it too. No matter what this year has been like for you, be on the lookout for ways you can be a blessing to someone else. It’ll do wonders for both of you. Giving literally changes something within your spirit. And when you’re generous to others, it creates a generosity effect, and people can’t help but pass it on. Generosity is contagious—in the best possible kind of way.
From all of us here at Ramsey Solutions, Merry Christmas!
To learn more about the debt payoff, check out the forgiven page.
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