For a few years, we spent every Monday afternoon with a group of compassionate people feeding and loving on some friends and neighbors who were less fortunate than we were. We provided a hot meal, companionship and sometimes a ride to homeless and hungry people in the small town of Hernando in Citrus County.
When we began commuting each week to Tallahassee to serve at City Church on Sundays and lead a community group on Monday evenings, one of our biggest disappointments was not being able to serve those people on Monday afternoons.
Saturday, my wife Cyndi, my daughter Meghan and I stopped for a hamburger on the east side of Tallahassee. We were hot and dirty from moving Ethan into a house for school that starts in a few weeks. I had stuffed some cash in my pocket earlier and as we finished eating, I took it out to fold it neatly and put it back in my pocket. As I did there was a man standing at the counter watching me. The man was neatly dressed – old, dirty clothes but neatly dressed. He took his 78 cent hamburger to his table, spread the wrapper out and slowly ate his dinner.
As Cyndi and I looked at each other, we knew that God once again had provided us a divine opportunity. I walked over to the man and asked him if I could buy him a beverage for his meal. His eyes lit up and he very graciously told me that would be fine. I purchased the man a beverage and some more food and placed it in front of him. He thanked me and smiled and said something to th effect of how nice we were to think of him and hoped that God would bless me.
This man didn’t know that he was my blessing. I never believe in coincidences. I believe God has ordained our paths each day. Some days we refuse to open our eyes and see what He has for us that day. Other days we are more willing to listen to what He has to say and to see what He has in store for us.
I haven’t had a full-time job in 20 months. But I have enough to provide something for someone who has nothing. Because of Jesus.
That interaction caused me to think a lot more about how we view our stuff. On Sunday, Stuart Owens said in his sermon something to the effect of whether we have $10 or $10 million in our bank account and if we obsess over it, it’s still greed.
I pray that God will always allow me to give back to him and to those He places in my path.
Life, Leadership and Faith 
August 6th, 2012 at 10:22 am
An inspiring blog.. I’ve been unemployed for 12 months now and yet God continues to provide in his own way.. at the same time I cannot pass a man in need and will always share what I have in my pocket even though I can’t really afford it.. yet for the Grace of God here I am blogging and writing while patiently awaiting a program I designed to be completed in it’s encoding.. with children chipping in and living with another we get by and are blessed.. Blessed enough to be able to give to others..
August 6th, 2012 at 10:25 am
Thanks for sharing your story with me. Your unselfishness inspires me.
August 6th, 2012 at 10:54 am
What a truly wonderful story, and you too are an example of the best of mankind. Although not particularly religious myself, I have always thought the best thing any of us can do is to give back to others in need. I would love to see all of the world, or maybe start with USA, stop fighting over non important issues and focus on helping others in need.
I hope everyone can read what you wrote so they can be as inspired as I am right now. We can all learn from your example.
August 6th, 2012 at 11:01 am
Thank you Andrew. While I do believe my desire to give back in based in my faith, I would hope that even without my faith I would be compelled to help others!
August 6th, 2012 at 11:12 am
I just wish everyone would spend more time giving back to those in need; rather than focus on the differences between us all. I love giving back, I just met a man on the street who is opening a new business and spent about an hour talking with him giving him advice and suggestions that I have learned over the last 20 years in business. It wasnt feeding someone that was hungry but it was helping a man with a wife and 2 kids, and maybe something I said will help him provide for his family.
August 6th, 2012 at 12:22 pm
And I bet it will! Thanks for your encouraging words and actions!
August 6th, 2012 at 4:51 pm
This was a very nice read. If we would all take the time to simply say or do a few nice things in helping others regardless of our own struggles I truly believe our world would be a much kinder, loving and better place. I had a teacher that once told me something I have never forgot… :if you throw ‘shit’ at the world be prepared for the wind to blow it right back at you with the stink that comes with it, if you throw kindness and love the winds will always blow sweet fragrances your away”. What ever ones motivation for helping others is, it is something we all should do.
August 6th, 2012 at 4:53 pm
Thanks for your good comments! I agree that regardless of motivation, we should all be doing good! Thanks for reading today.
August 8th, 2012 at 7:48 am
Such a nice post. It doesn’t take much to let others know they aren’t alone. And thank you for the reminder to think of those less fortunate. All acts of kindness add up and make this a better world.
August 8th, 2012 at 7:52 am
Thanks for your comments. Acts of kindness do add up!
August 13th, 2012 at 4:18 pm
What a beautiful example you are of building a road of the loving heart. You seized the opportunity to bless another and now the blessing continues to bless others as we read about it in your post. Thank you and may God bless you in all that you do.
Joy
August 20th, 2012 at 1:34 pm
This is communicated so well! I could feel my heart just expand at how God loves us! Two of my favorite statements…
1. That he was your gift.
2. “On Sunday, Stuart Owens said in his sermon something to the effect of whether we have $10 or $10 million in our bank account and if we obsess over it, it’s still greed.”
August 20th, 2012 at 3:16 pm
Thanks for stopping by and visiting. Glad you enjoyed reading!
September 11th, 2012 at 4:57 pm
Thank you for the reminder that God is very much alive, and works thru every little thing we do or say to show his love to others. He isn’t just to be read about in the bible, from what happened 2000 years ago, and then put back on the shelf when the book is closed.
September 11th, 2012 at 5:02 pm
Agreed! Thanks for stopping by!