365 days, a journey to find joy in every day!

November 23, 2010
Today was a day for work, work and more work.  Sometimes my work is so boring it lulls me off to sleep, and other times it is so frustrating that I want to scream and beat something.  But the thing is I HAVE work to do, that pays me well, and that is something that many people don’t have these days.  Not that I am wealthy, but I have enough.  Enough to pay the bills, buy food and clothing, and live somewhere inside.

There are so many homeless people out on our streets.  I see them everywhere. But I took notice of one particular one this week.  He stands out on a corner by a street that I drive by every day on my way to the nursing home.  He has used the same cardboard sign for months that says “Hungry.”  At first I thought, yeah right, just like all the rest, making a killing off of panhandling.  But today he looked much thinner, noticeably, and sad.  I stopped for a second in the turn lane to give him a couple of dollars and off he ran to McDonalds.  He can’t be more than 19 or so, and I wonder where his mother and father are.  If he has any.

This is not a joyful subject for me.  I have worked years in the welfare business, gained and lost the attitude of “so what” in a hundred different ways.  But seeing that boy in transition, from healthy to skin and bones, made me think about what I should be doing, instead of trying to wish the homeless ones away.  After all, I am just one paycheck away from that at any given time. 

I thought about Thanksgiving, all the preparations, the sitting down at the table with my family, the blessings we all have, and the love, and realized this boy will have none of that.  But what could I do about it? 

There is something I can do.  I called The Giving Tree, a local group that feeds the homeless and provides things that they need, plus a shelter.  I signed myself up to go serve dinner.  They said if I wanted to bring some food, they would be more than happy to accept it. 

My joy today: offering my Thanksgiving Day up for service.