Generosity

Ok, so my mini-goal for Friday was generosity.  I was lying in bed that morning trying to think of a way I could be generous.  My older daughter and her boyfriend were in town and we were going shopping.  We went to the Plaza - an upscale outdoor shopping center and although I was trying to be generous with my thoughts and with my time and energy, I was looking for something more tangible.  Although generosity doesn't always mean monetarily, that day I felt compelled to give to someone less fortunate.  We passed a homeless guy on the street at the Plaza.  He looked pitiful, but unfortunately, I wasn't prepared (money out of my purse) for him.  While we were in the next store, I dug in my purse and pulled out a $20 bill.  I was going to hand it to him when we came out; however, he was no longer there when we left the store.  I was a bit disappointed, but we trudged onward and I was hoping we would see him again on another corner, but nothing...  We finally wrapped up our shopping and headed for home.  We stopped at a stoplight and there was a man on the corner asking for money.  I immediately reached in my pocket and pulled out the $20 and handed it to him.  He was ecstatic.   The pure joy radiating through him was so awesome and touched me profoudly.  I know $20 isn't a lot to offer, especially when we have so much, but when I think about all the times I've walked by someone in need, my heart hurts.  I would love to be able to give to everyone.  Obviously that's not possible, but at least I made one person's day.  That night, I prayed that God guide him to use the money wisely and maybe someday he could pay it forward to someone else in need....