Tonight, after a race to the gas station, I pulled up to the pump and was approached by a young woman. "Do you have a few dollars you could spare for gas? I need to make it home to Santaquin. It has been a really long day."
I never carry cash and my trepidation, initially, in giving her money is that I don't have a lot of money. I could have told her no, saying that I just don't have the money, but, truth be told, I have the money; I don't have a lot of money, but I have a little. And then the lyrics to the hymn, "Because I Have Been Given Much," ran through my mind. The first verse starts: "Because I have been given much, I too must give."
Considering the hymn, I responded to her, "I just have my card, so I would just have to go and get some money out for you."
"Would that be okay?" she asked, appearing to be tired and suffering from the aforementioned long day.
"No," I said. "It's no problem at all."
I finished pumping my own gas and asked the gas station attendant to put ten dollars on the pump she was on. He looked a little confused and told me someone else had already put five dollars on. On hearing this, I asked him to change the amount to five dollars, but then I changed my mind. What would an extra five dollars hurt to give her?
She finished pumping the gas as I walked out and thanked me. I told her she was welcome and proceeded to get into my car. I drove home and continued to hum the hymn to myself.
In this time of recession and joblessness, it falls on each and every one of us to lift each other up and give aide and succor where we can. I often find myself wondering what the beggar on the street needs money for and if they are going to use it to buy drugs or beer. However, I realized, especially tonight, it is not for me to decide what they are going to use the money for. What they use the money for is totally on them. What is on me is whether or not, seeing a stranger in need, I give aide and succor to them or deny them the help they say need.
I may not always be able to help a stranger, but I have decided that I will help where I can. I will give aide when I am able, regardless of what they choose to do with that help. Another line from the hymn springs to mind. It goes, "I cannot see another's lack and I not share."
When we see someone suffering and have the means to help, should we not help? We are all under the same blue skies and we all, at some point in our lives, suffer. We are all connected. Give aide and succor where you can and raise up the poor in spirit to levels of dignity and peace.
Namaste.
I never carry cash and my trepidation, initially, in giving her money is that I don't have a lot of money. I could have told her no, saying that I just don't have the money, but, truth be told, I have the money; I don't have a lot of money, but I have a little. And then the lyrics to the hymn, "Because I Have Been Given Much," ran through my mind. The first verse starts: "Because I have been given much, I too must give."
Considering the hymn, I responded to her, "I just have my card, so I would just have to go and get some money out for you."
"Would that be okay?" she asked, appearing to be tired and suffering from the aforementioned long day.
"No," I said. "It's no problem at all."
I finished pumping my own gas and asked the gas station attendant to put ten dollars on the pump she was on. He looked a little confused and told me someone else had already put five dollars on. On hearing this, I asked him to change the amount to five dollars, but then I changed my mind. What would an extra five dollars hurt to give her?
She finished pumping the gas as I walked out and thanked me. I told her she was welcome and proceeded to get into my car. I drove home and continued to hum the hymn to myself.
In this time of recession and joblessness, it falls on each and every one of us to lift each other up and give aide and succor where we can. I often find myself wondering what the beggar on the street needs money for and if they are going to use it to buy drugs or beer. However, I realized, especially tonight, it is not for me to decide what they are going to use the money for. What they use the money for is totally on them. What is on me is whether or not, seeing a stranger in need, I give aide and succor to them or deny them the help they say need.
I may not always be able to help a stranger, but I have decided that I will help where I can. I will give aide when I am able, regardless of what they choose to do with that help. Another line from the hymn springs to mind. It goes, "I cannot see another's lack and I not share."
When we see someone suffering and have the means to help, should we not help? We are all under the same blue skies and we all, at some point in our lives, suffer. We are all connected. Give aide and succor where you can and raise up the poor in spirit to levels of dignity and peace.
Namaste.
It is in the giving that we receive -
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