TheBanyanTree: TheBanyanTree Digest, Vol 52, Issue 13

[Pat M]

Laura,

Wonderful!  The world needs more people like you.

Love Pat


On 1/29/08, thebanyantree-request at lists.remsset.com <
thebanyantree-request at lists.remsset.com> wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
>
>   1. We have so much... (Laura)
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Laura <wolfljsh at gmail.com>
> To: "The Banyan Tree" <thebanyantree at remsset.com>
> Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 22:29:02 -0500
> Subject: TheBanyanTree: We have so much...
> Larry and I were out on an errand today, sitting at a red light, when we
> saw
> a person sitting on the side of the road, with the ubiquitous cardboard,
> hand lettered sign.  We mostly just ignored it.  You have to become
> hard-hearted, or you'd end up giving away all your hard earned cash to
> winos
> and junkies.
>
> For some reason, this person drew my eye.  I couldn't tell if it was a
> male
> or female.  We thought it was a female.  He or she was holding the
> cardboard
> over the bottom of his/her face, as protection from the cold.  Very young
> too, probably early 20s or so.  I read the sign without thinking about it.
> It said:
>
> HOMELESS
> HUNGRY
> NEED FOOD
> and size 1 diapers
> AND GOD'S BLESSING
>
> I read it again.  Tears came to my eyes.  I read it to Larry.  When I got
> to
> the diapers part, he went silent for a minute.
>
> "I wish we could do something."  he said.
>
> "I'd hop out and give her some money, but I don't have any cash."
>
> "I do, but the light's about to change.  You wouldn't have time to run
> over
> there and back."
>
> So we drove on in silence.  After a minute, I said, "We could go back and
> get her, and take her shopping."
>
> "I was thinking we could stop by Wal-mart and get some diapers."
>
> "And some food.   And give her 20 bucks or so."
>
> "Yeah."
>
> So we stopped at Wal-mart and got some size 1 diapers, a chicken salad
> sandwich, an apple, and orange, and a bottle of water.  We headed back
> over
> to where the person was sitting, and pulled into the parking lot behind
> her,
> next to a beat up old car missing a rear window.  Larry beeped the horn as
> I
> got out of the van.  The person sitting there looked our way, saw me with
> two bags, and headed down the embankment toward me.  As soon as he got
> part
> way down the hill I could see it was actually a young man.  Sparse,
> scruffy
> beard, torn jeans with sweats underneath, hooded sweatshirt and a vest
> against the cold.  No gloves, no scarf, only socks and athletic shoes on
> his
> feet.  I handed him the bags, explaining that they held diapers and some
> food.  He looked into my eyes and said, "Thank you.  Thank you so
> much."  I
> handed him $40 to go with it, and he just looked at me and said, "God
> bless
> you."  I touched his hand and said, "God bless *you*."
>
> On the way home, we had to take the long way home.  Neither of us could
> keep
> from tearing up.  We have so much now, however, we are very aware of the
> fact, "There, but for the grace of God, goes I."
> --
> Laura
> wolfljsh at gmail.com
> http://wolfsinger.wordpress.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ______________________________________
>             TheBanyanTree
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>



-- 
China photos can be viewed at;

http://picasaweb.google.com/Ms.Pat.Martin/China3ZhangKangSStory

http://picasaweb.google.com/Ms.Pat.Martin/January2008To

http://picasaweb.google.com/Ms.Pat.Martin/China2

http://picasaweb.google.com/Ms.Pat.Martin/China