Blessed

For FHE in December, the singles ward organized an activity where everyone brought preassigned goods that would be useful for someone in need; toothbrushes, tooth paste, soap, crackers, granola bars, combs, etc.  (We signed up to bring toothbrushes.)  A big room with several long tables was set up.  All the goods were categorized into an amazing array.  Gallon size baggies were handed out to be filled with a good variety of each.  We all filled many bags and collected them in boxes to be delivered.  On the way out, we were instructed to take a few filled baggies to keep on hand to be given out at a moments notice during the month.

We drove for a week or so with the baggies on the floor board in between the front seats.  It's surprising how hard we looked for just the right person in need.  The corners we had noticed them before were empty now.

At the same time, a story kept rolling around in my head about my brother Jim.  A few years ago,  he had passed a homeless man on the corner of the McDonald's he was driving into and decided then to purchase extra food to be given to the needy man on his way out.   Good idea, right?  Wrong.  As Jim held out the bag with a smile, the man sternly quipped, "I don't want food, I want money!"  Yikes.
So, while watching for needy people around, I also sized them up pretty good.  Would I be rejected?  It made me nervous.

On the access road against the freeway one day, there was a weathered man with a backpack and a sign.  I would be stopped there until the light changed, but I thought twice about offering.  I looked down at the baggie on the floor and back at the man.  He must have seen me search, because the second my window rolled down, he reached out.  I handed him the baggie with a smile and to my surprise, I heard his words, "Thank you ma'am.  Have a blessed day."  I felt warm and grateful I could help.  His response was a gift I won't forget.  I can still hear his voice, as he was the grateful one.

Last week on our way to institute, I pointed out the other long overdue-to-deliver baggie to my friend.  We talked about where we have seen people in need lately.  Mill Ave. seemed to be a good place to start. So we decided to make it our mission to find a recipient for the bag on the way home.   As we drove slowly through town along Mill, sure enough, there was an older man in a wheelchair on the corner.  He was holding a sign I couldn't read.  We went around the block to be able to turn in where he was.  It was a cold day, but a sunny one.  I pulled into an expired meter slot and made my friend vouch for me if a policeman questioned the  meter.  I grabbed the baggie and walked to the corner.  I came up behind him and on around to speak to his face.  He looked at me and before I even started to speak, he held out his tired hands to retrieve the welcome goods.  I handed them across and at the same time I said, "I thought you could use these",  he said,  "Bless you, ma'am."  His sign read, "ANYTHING WILL HELP".  But I will remember this mans' eyes.  Gratitude.

I was blessed for delivering small bags of necessities to two people who were in obvious need.  My offerings weren't bounteous, but their graciousness in accepting was overflowing.  They both blessed me.

Matthew 25:40