This post is going to be a little different, but I think it's relevant to all of us. Too many times we see people in need and no one is willing to do the smallest thing to help. This was brought to mind when remembering a gentleman I saw beside the road with a cardboard sign saying, "homeless, please help". He was an older man standing with a cane and just a small pull-along with his belongings. I watched car after car pass the man who had picked quite a busy intersection to stand in. It seems like our society has either become numb to people in similar situations or is in denial that this could happen to anyone. I don't know anything about this man. I don't know if he made bad choices in his life to get him where he is or if there was some sort of unpreventable catastrophe that happened. Maybe he lost a job during the recession. Maybe he was on a fixed income. Maybe his loved one passed and left him with too many bills and debt. Perhaps he had/has an addiction issue. None of that is really relevant to me, though, because I have had many days that felt much less than perfect and I'm not about to try passing judgement. I didn't have much for this gentleman; in fact, I too had zero income. But I was driving a car. I had food at my house. I also had a few dollars in my pocket. It wasn't much. It wouldn't even get me half a tank of gas, but it was something. I turned my car around and went back to that busy intersection where I saw car after car passing this man again. I rolled down the window and handed this man just a few dollars and the look on his face was pure gratitude.
Now, some of you might think it isn't smart to hand out money. I know that there is a possibility that when you give someone money it might go to something unsavory. I know that when I give someone money on their birthday, there is a good chance they are going to blow that money. Just as I know that there is a possibility that the money I handed that man might have gone to something other than the necessities of living. We like to think that if we make a donation it will go to something life changing like medical supplies or food and shelter. That wasn't the point of what I did though. I saw a man whose day was looking a little less than perfect. If I was in his shoes, having a couple dollars in my pocket might make the difference between a good day and a bad day. Just knowing that I now have something to help me along would probably come in small packages.
My life didn't crumble apart because I didn't have those couple dollars in my pocket anymore. And on the other hand I didn't have a symphony playing my praises when I handed him the money, but I did feel the thankfulness that the man had and that was plenty.
So here is what I'm getting at: Every day we see people in need - whether they need money, food, a hug, advice, or just someone to listen. I believe that each of us has something to give. Maybe a child in your son or daughter's class is left out or picked on. Perhaps offer a play date. Lend an ear to his mom or dad. Maybe you see someone along the road with a sign. Maybe there is a fast food joint nearby. A burger is very inexpensive to those who have money. If we all just reach out at least some of the times we see someone in need, this world might be a lot easier to get along in.
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