On a random November Monday, his wife Laura convinced him to make a trip to the JC Penney at The Parks Mall in Arlington.

"We're finally getting family photos done after many, many years," Laura explained.

So Wendell needed a sweater and JC Penney has a selection that can fit Wendell's 6-foot-5-inch frame.

"The Big and Tall section is the place I'm going to land," Wendell said.

That particular Monday, they noticed a commotion in Big and Tall.

And then they spotted someone bigger and taller.

NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal, now a North Texas resident, was surprising families with shopping sprees. Shaq handed Wendell a $500 gift card, without knowing just how alike he and the Garretts are.

"We looked at each other and said, God is so good," Wendell said.

Wendell, Laura, and their two sons are volunteers at Beautiful Feet in Fort Worth. The ministry provides meals, clothes and other needs to families struggling to afford food and shelter.

Beautiful Feet runs a "Secret Agent" program at Christmas, gifting holiday presents to children and teens whose parents can't afford them.

The Garretts give to Beautiful Feet and other ministries every year - even in the leanest of years, like this one.

"I'd been praying like, how are we going to fund this because we've had kind of a hard year financially," Laura said.

Laura said that prayer several times the day they made that trip to the mall, even shortly before getting there.

Then Shaq appeared.

"I knew that was an answer to a prayer," Laura said. "Right then and there, we knew that's what we're going to use that money for."

O'Neal has been seen several times at stores across the region helping families. Over the summer he took kids on a back-to-school shopping spree.

More recently, Shaq helped a DeSoto High School football star for one of the most pivotal moments of his life - National Signing Day.

High School senior Byron Washington is one of the nation's top offensive tackles and has verbally committed to Syracuse. To prep for the big day, Shaq took Washington on a shopping spree at JCPenney.

Shaq has been a long-time supporter of Washington's journey and was determined to find the perfect fit for someone with a big-and-tall frame like himself.

Sometimes, his recipients are so touched by his generosity they're moved to tears.

This time, the superstar's gift is being paid forward.

The Garretts will now provide Christmas to two families: one with seven kids, and another with three.

As Wendell thanked Shaq for the gift card, he briefly told him how they'd spend it.

But Wendell hopes after the gifts are delivered he can somehow get word to Shaq about how far his kindness can be felt.

"I'd like to tell him he's being used a lot more than what he realizes by the lord," Wendell said.