Today I had an hour to spare before picking a friend up from a haircut. Being typical me, I never view this as a waste of time or that I must accomplish something with my hour. Don't tell my husband......he likes to fit as much into a day as possible. I rarely go to the McDonalds, but my tummy was rumbly and they have a dollar menu and I didn't have much coinage.
So, it was a nice time. I waited about 15 or so minutes for my food. That was fine. Plenty of people to see. Then I found a secluded little booth where I could look out at the people. As I am quick to point out........I love to people watch. I don't even mean to do it. I'm just drawn to it.
So, there I was. And kitty corner to me, slouched into a corner booth, looking like he was trying to hide from the world was an elderly man nursing a cup of coffee. He may have been homeless. May have just been poor. But he appeared to have no place else to be headed to. He rarely looked around. His coffee was probably free.....I think seniors get free coffee. He could barely shuffle to the bathroom when he got up to go........still holding that coffee cup.
He was weak. He was alone. He was poor. He had only a cup of coffee.
Then, I had to hustle back to the salon to get my friend. She rarely gets her hair cut. But the place is fairly nice. So, I had to wait a few minutes for them to finish with her. I sat in the comfy chair and......you guessed it........began to people watch. This time I have to admit that I was also eavesdropping. Not intentionally, I was just hearing what people were saying right in front of me. A mom and daughter went to the counter to check out. They bought a shampoo and conditioner, had a couple of haircuts and some waxing. Oh, and a hairbrush. Their bill was $248 and some change. Flabbergasted. Stunned.
Thinking of the man at McDonalds. Seeing them. The very young daughter seemed to feel entitled. Like she hadn't received enough. They were planning their next salon visit. I would have been planning on my next platelet donation for cash or something as lucrative.
In this world there are the haves. There are the have nots. And it's not fair. I'm not even sure if it's just. It is painful actually. I am somewhere in the middle, but I am still certainly a haves. And I wonder about the things I worry about. Like that I want MORE shoes. Or better clothes. Or a nice makeover. Or a classy car. Or a housekeeper. (I confess, it is my fantasy.)
And I am pained. How shallow I am. I have clothes to wear. Machines to wash them in. Lots of food to eat. Gas to drive my kids to school in a car that I own. I have heat in my house. and lots of warm blankies. I have a computer.
And I completely miss the point sometimes. It's not that it's wrong to have things. It's just wrong not to see the poor. Wrong not to feed the hungry. Wrong not to minister to the widows and orphans. And just praying for them is not good enough.
I need to quit looking away and begin looking in my heart for why I hold back. It is wrong. Maybe I'm afraid of what it will cost if I actually see them and decide to make a difference in their lives. I can't fix poverty. But, I can make a day or a meal or a moment better. Not by throwing money at the problem but by sharing my very life.
It's a big call. But I am hearing it. I need to have my priorities straight.
How bout you? You have any things you need to straighten out?
Don't be afraid to look at the hard things. You have time to grow and change. Just be honest with yourself.
love you.
blessings,
rhonda
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