I was prepared to write something about my trip today, but my photos will not download and I had something interesting happen this afternoon. I'm not really sure what the take away is so I am guessing...using what feels right.
I have cooked dinner the last few nights and we have lots of left overs, but neither Travis nor I felt like eating them so I decided to get a take and bake Pizza. Normally when I leave my parking lot I go out the back, but tonight I tried a different way knowing I would be going the other direction. As I was driving down the parking lot, in a place I never should have been, a woman practically jumped out in front of my car waiving me down. I glanced at my locked doors (thank you new car auto locks) and rolled down the passenger window a bit to see what was up.
She said something like, "I am a nice person can I ask you for help?" Then "can I get in?"...Well, Mama didn't raise me yesterday...I said "yes" to the first and an unequivocal "NO" to the 2nd. She then went on and on about how she was here doing a nursing internship and her kids were at the movies and her car's clutch went out and just got towed away after she called the police for help and it was illegal for them to give her a ride and she needed to use the train behind my building to get her and her kids home and her debit card was rejected because of the $100 bucks she gave the police to tow her car and that was the money she was going to use to feed her kids that week...on and on.
After figuring out she was looking for $15.50 (apparently the amount for 4 or 5 train tickets) I finally pulled out my wallet and opened it to show her I had ZERO dollars on me. In all honesty, if I did have money on me I would have given it to her just so I could move on without feeling like a total heel. I told her I was sorry I could not help and drove away...feeling like a total heel, while at the same time knowing I was a gullible sap.
I recently read this book I got from the library - "29 Gifts - How A Month of Giving Can Change Your Life". I thought about this the entire way to the pizza place up the street. I have been wanting to try this challenge, but have REALLY resisted it. Not because I don't WANT to do it, but because I am almost certain I will FAIL. Isn't that awful? Not doing something JUST because I might not succeed at it?
I told myself right then I was going to do the 29 Day Giving Challenge and went to the ATM to get $20 to give to this person. I decided it did not matter if she was conning me or if she was telling the truth. My intention was to help her in some way and since I was in a position to give her $15.50...I was willing to do that for her. I drove back to the spot, but she must have received assistance from someone else and moved on. I wish her well.
This was a long way around to being grateful for a new challenge. The giving challenge is not meant to be difficult, time consuming or expensive, it is meant to create mindful acts of kindness in the everyday for those that surround our lives. I often recognize opportunities to be of service and will do what I can when it is easy or "on-my-way" so to speak, but I want to go a little bit out of my way with this; maybe that is where the resistance has been coming from. We all know I like my comfort zone...
If you would like to participate in this challenge with me...that would be cool. Here is the link to the website if you want to check it out: http://www.29gifts.org/
I Am Grateful,
HB
Love the 29 gifts idea. I checked out the web site....I definitely started today....but I am inclined not to make it official until the 27th.....so I can end on the 25th of November. You know what I'm saying? Turkey Day....and all.
ReplyDeleteI had a very similar experience to the one you had above....mine ended on a positive, (and so did yours w/ the 29 gift push) just meaning the help was able to be given. Feel like it is too long to type out....maybe you can remind me at Christmas??
I gave a sincere compliment today to my children's hygienist. You have seen her in a post. Lawson was in again today to get his tooth pulled. She was not his helper today, but was Ryker's hygienist ....but after she totally came and sought out L and checked on him, gave him a big hug and made sure he went to the treasure chest. I could see him start getting emotional because he knows she cares for his well being, and he was still shook up from the pulling. Had his wad of gauze in his mouth...kinda drooly.
I always get choked up thinking about Robbi. I love having our kids spend time with her, she is so genuine. She always says exactly the right thing to comfort or make the kids laugh or feel ultra important. She has the personality that you want to linger around. She reminds me of how (I think) it would feel to be around the prophet maybe....except for I would probably be afraid that I was taking too much time, not w/ Robbi. Maybe I am going over the top. She just has deep down goodness.
Anyway, as I was checking out, I started tearing up....I wondered if I had ever told her how wonderful she is. I always say thank you, and you're the best kind of stuff on the way out. But never really went the extra mile.
After I was done I cruised back to her little room where she was cleaning up, getting ready for her next appointment. She looked up surprised....course I was teary....she was like, Melissa...are you ok? Yes, yes. I just wanted to tell you how much I love you. Gave her a big hug. She said thank you.....I really needed to hear that today.
The end. Gift one placed.
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ReplyDeleteSOOO Glad you will do this with me. THANK YOU for sharing!! HB
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