Some promises stick with you. Angela from Wichita, Kansas, made one when she was seven years old that she'd actually keep two decades later, and the way she pulled it off had Dave Ramsey calling it movie-worthy.

Angela called into The Ramsey Show recently to share what happened. Back in the 1990s, her mom had always admired the Mazda Miata, that small, sporty two-seater that's more fun than practical. But practical won out every time when money was tight. So young Angela, all of seven years old, made her mom a promise: someday, she'd buy her that car.

The Setup Was Perfect

Flash forward about twenty years. Angela and her husband had a good harvest season that left them with some extra money, and she spotted a Miata for sale. But here's where it gets good. Instead of just showing up with the keys, Angela got creative.

"We left the for sale tag in the window, but we changed the phone number," Angela explained on air. They arranged to meet up with her mom and strategically parked the Miata a few spots away. Right on cue, her mom noticed the car and said, "I might be able to buy that Miata."

She pulled out her phone and dialed the number on the sign. Angela picked up. "It's yours, Mom," she told her.

The timing made it even better. Angela's mom had just heard a song on the radio with the lyrics, "How do miracles just happen like that." Talk about perfect coincidence.

Dave Ramsey was clearly impressed. "I like the way you gave the gift as much as the gift," he said. Co-host George Kamel agreed: "So creative. It's out of a movie."

Angela's mom was around 72 when she got the car and still drives it at 74. "She still calls it GG for God's Gift," Angela said. "She loves that car. I won't say how fast she goes in it, but that's kind of scary. She'll remember that anniversary every year, probably for the rest of her life."

Ramsey Had His Own Version

The story prompted Ramsey to share something similar from his own circle. A friend of his grew up watching his dad, a pastor, sell a prized antique car when money got tight. The family needed to eat, so the car had to go.

Decades passed. The original collector still owned the car. Ramsey's friend tracked it down, bought it back, and gave it to his dad. "You talk about eyes leaking everywhere," Ramsey said. "And the guy gave him a good deal because he figured out what he was doing."

Both stories land on the same truth: the best gifts aren't really about the money. They're about keeping promises, honoring the people who matter, and maybe adding enough creativity to turn a nice gesture into something unforgettable. Angela promised her mom a dream car when she was seven. Twenty years later, she delivered, and she made sure her mom would never forget how it happened.