After Their Lemonade Stand Was Robbed, VA Siblings Spread Message of God's Forgiveness and Hope

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."

***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.*** 

When life handed these young entrepreneurs a sour situation, their community stepped up to help. In response to the robbery, locals rallied around the family, organizing a special lemonade event that raised over $6,200 in donations. "All the people were really nice," Rebecca said, adding that one of the highlights was getting to ride on a motorcycle.

Their father, Ryan Caldwell, reflected on the overwhelming support: "Immediately there was just so much support coming out of this. We're blessed by this whole thing. Something bad happened in that moment, but ever since then, it's been blessing after blessing."

As their story spread from the community to national news, the Caldwells used their platform to share the gospel. "We've talked a lot about forgiveness in our interviews. Some people have asked why we choose to forgive," said Annetta Caldwell, reading from a heartfelt note they taped to the lemonade stand. The note pointed visitors toward the cross, emphasizing the family's faith.

Annetta added, "If God can do it through a lemonade stand, He can do anything – He can do the impossible." She further explained, "We just want people to know that God forgave us, and we want to forgive other people. If we hold onto bitterness, it hurts us more than it hurts them. So, we wanted people to realize that it's more important to forgive."

Rebecca and Joshua, the youngest of five siblings, plan to use some of the funds raised for their oldest sister's missionary trip to Asia, with the rest going toward toys like a four-wheeler and a dirt bike. The Caldwells' story is a powerful reminder that when life hands you lemons, with faith and love, you can turn them into something far sweeter.

The suspect, a 19-year-old, was initially charged with petty larceny for the Aug. 14 theft. The charge was upgraded this week to a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.