Struggling Tennessee waitress ‘blessed’ by $1,075 tip

Sometimes good things really do happen to good people.

When Khadijah Muhammad, 26, showed up for work at Cheddar's on Wednesday afternoon, the a Knoxville, Tennessee, waitress did so knowing that her electricity would likely be cut off the next day.

Earlier in January she drove through a dangerous snowstorm so she could be by her mother's side in Ohio after she suffered a heart attack. Because she missed so much work, Muhammad was unable to keep up with her bills.

"When I got back home in Knoxville, it started to sink in how much work I missed and that I was not going to be able to pay all of my bills. I've been trying to pick up any extra shifts that I can," Muhammad, who regularly makes homemade pies, muffins and soup and delivers them to the homeless, told WBIR.

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Her Wednesday shift started slowly — for Muhammad, that meant fewer opportunities for tips — and included serving a friendly husband, wife and their 10-year-old son.

"They really did not stand out. They were just nice folks. I remember talking to them and having a friendly conversation like you would with a neighbor. The father ordered a country steak. The mother and son split a fish taco. They split it. They were really humble people," said Muhammad.

The family's bill totalled $29.30.

When Muhammad returned to their table after they had left, the receipt was turned upside down, something that usually indicates a small tip — or none at all.

"I remember thinking, 'I wonder what I did wrong.' Then I picked it up and I just was in shock," she said.

The family had tipped her $1,075.

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Scrawled on the back of bill was a short note:

"Jesus has blessed us and we were led to give it to you! God Bless!"

"I just want to thank them. Thank them so much, because I'm humbled. I'm grateful. I do believe that God led you to me at this time in my life," a tearful Muhammad told WBIR.

The generous couple, who wished to remain anonymous, later told WBIR that they were "thrilled" their waitress was blessed by their tip.

They told the station that they had recently moved and, because they left their church behind, were unsure how to spend the money designated for their monthly tithing. With the recent sale of their home and a bonus from the husband's work, they had had a particularly good month.

They decided to give Muhammad their 10 per cent.

"We kept feeling Jesus was telling us it was okay, don't fret about the money," said the husband.

Muhammad hopes she'll be able to do the same for someone someday.

"And at the first opportunity, I will do it," she said.