My Daughter and I recently encountered, as we often do, in the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, a Homeless man, who was hunkered down for the night, under a few sleeping bags with his book and all of his belongings. We encountered him as we were walking home after dinner.
We had been so hungry at dinner, after a day of touring colleges, that our eyes were too big for our stomachs and we ordered too much. The appetizer ended up being enormous, and ravenous as we were, we ate it hungrily. There was still some to spare. When our meals arrived, we picked at them, out of obligation, but decided to take the whole portions home, although we were staying in a hotel, and leaving early the next morning, and likely wouldn't have even eaten it.
As we were walking home from dinner, we passed the homeless man and he made some gesture to us, to alert us he was there. We kept walking as I normally would do (I usally feel quite apprehensive in these situations) but then suddenly, together, my daughter and I looked at each other and had the same though, "Should we give him our left overs?" I have never done that before, in all of my opportunities.
We walked towards him, and said, "Are You hungry?" He replied, "I never turn down food," and graciously accepted it, thanking us, as a neighbor might do when you loan him your ladder. I told him what was in the bag and how good the food was and said I hoped he enjoyed it. As we left, a local walked by, coming from the opposite direction, and acknowledged the homeless man, calling him by name.
We felt good. But I admit there was some apprehension, as I approached him. But, I believe, that if my daughter has an opportunity, Yes, an Opportunity, in the future, to help someone in need, she will do so with less apprehension than we had on this day. I will too.
For we have innumerable opportunities for giving and for sharing what we have. We always have more than we really need don't we?
I believe in 'The Loaves and The Fishes', for even if we give what we have and we are left with less than enough, we receive so much more: satisfaction in having shared, satisfaction in having given a fellow human
something that made his existence a little more comfortable. Satisfaction in doing unto others. And that kind of satisfaction can provide more nourishment than any loaf or fish could ever give.
- By Glorioski
