Saturday, May 15, 2004

Lessons at Burger King

A while back I was at Burger King. As I was sitting with wife and child, I noticed a homeless woman. A few minutes later another homeless man appeared outside. He looked in and decided to order…he did not have enough money. The woman noticed him and went after him, and I noticed her hand the man some money. I was a bit embarrassed, as I did not have any cash and very little money in the old account to buy his meal.
Yet, having a money problem did not stop the woman. She sat down as the man went and bought a burger. I was very impressed. I decided to tell her I thought that what she did was really cool, and she seemed very kind. She explained how she was homeless, and to not feel bad for her because it was her choice. I asked her name and I noticed her eyes when I did. She seemed shocked that someone cared enough to ask that question. She looked at my wife and me as if she was recalling it … she said “Debbie”.

She smiled and I really don’t remember what else she said. I did smell the alcohol on her breath and understood her choice…but she seemed different after I asked her name.

I pondered on this event a few days later and realized that there is one who knows our name. He knows much more than that. He knows everything about you and me.
In fact He has written our names in the book of life and will never erase it.

He promises to take care of our needs. To Him a burger is nothing when to us a burger is everything.

Debbie showed me something. She had compassion. She was were the other guys was, on the cold street. “If we give someone a drink of water, I will remember it”.
It seems so simple, compassion. Why is it though so hard to get up and put it into action?
That day God used a simple homeless woman to teach me and to shame me.
Not in a bad way…but to take notice of the things around me. To move when compassion has a moment to be done.

The question I have now every day is, “how will compassion take form today? And when it does what will I do?

Blessings,
iggy

“I walk the balance between Heaven and Earth
Sometimes I soar, often I slip - but I am never alone.
He caught me; reached all the way from sky to sea
He pulled me out of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos,
the void in which I was drowning.”
Psalm 18 - The Message

2 comments:

JP said...

You may not see this comment but I will reply anyhow. It is so easy for me to sit in my middle class suburban home. I have not come in contact with any homeless folks in that nature but I question myself what whould I do? WWJD? I pray that I would be compassionate and giver her "the clothes off my back" Good blogging brother.

Unknown said...

JP,
Again thank you.
It was funny to see your comment on that post... as I needed to read it again.
Funny how things seem so deep... then we forget... even when it is so important not to.
blessings,
iggy