CANS

This morning as I was sitting in my bosses office, I looked out the window and saw a homeless person crossing the street carrying two large bags of cans. I told my boss that I would be right back, ran to the office kitchen where we have a can recycling bin and took off out the door with the cans. I caught up with the guy at the next block. As I approached I hollered for him to stop. He cautiously turned around and I said, "Hey you collecting cans?" He replied that he was and I said I had a big bag here and would he like them....that is when he began to smile, as big of a smile as I have ever seen. He asked me "has anyone wished you a merry Christmas?" and I said not yet and his smile got even bigger and he said "let me be the first, Merry Christmas!" I handed him the bag, wished him a Merry Christmas and we went our separate ways.

I get emotional even thinking about it now. What two different worlds that we live in. It was not a big deal for me to give him the cans and yet he was so grateful. I'm not sure if he was grateful for the cans or for the fact that someone took the time to acknowledge his existence. I have SO MUCH and so often I fail to acknowledge it and thank God. It does not make me a better person because I gave away some cans, but I hope that my encounter with this man will make me a better person, more thankful, more patient, more tolerant.

In Him,

David