Years ago, I celebrated my 40th birthday with a large group of friends at C&O Trattoria in Marina del Rey. Many of us arrived ahead of time and waited outside the restaurant.
As I stood on the sidewalk with my friends, a homeless man approached me and asked for money. I had been given strict orders to not bring my wallet lest I should feel compelled to contribute toward the meal, so when the man approached me, I let him know that I didn’t have any cash. He quietly smiled at me, and moved on.
While the homeless man was still in earshot range, a friend who was just arriving called out “Happy Birthday Marc!” Upon hearing this, the man turned and asked, “Hey man, it’s your Birthday?” “Yes it is,” I said. He walked back to me, a huge smile on his face and exclaimed “Happy Birthday, man!” I was completely unprepared for what happened next: the man reached into his pocket, pulled out a dollar bill, and extended it to me saying “Here man… take this. Happy Birthday!”
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Although I was deeply moved by this act of generosity, accepting money from a homeless man was not within my comfort zone, so my knee jerk response was to say “Thanks, that’s awfully nice of you, but that’s OK.” The man looked directly into my eyes and implored “Please brother, please take this. God is so good to me. Every night, no matter what, I always end up with a place to sleep and enough food to eat. He’s so good to me. Please take this.” I was still reluctant to accept this gift, but I heard a voice within me practically yelling, “TAKE THE MONEY!” I hesitantly reached out, saying “Thank you.” Tears began to well up in the man’s eyes. He grabbed my hand with both of his, gave me the dollar, then held on for a moment and said, “No… thank you brother, thank you!” We stood looking at each other for a few moments until he once again flashed his big smile, let go of my hand, turned around, and walked away.
Needless to say, that experience left me feeling like I had gained far more than $1! This was one of my greatest life lessons showing that the essence of who we are is never defined by our human circumstances, and no matter how depleted we may feel, we always have something of value to share with others.
As I stood on the sidewalk with my friends, a homeless man approached me and asked for money. I had been given strict orders to not bring my wallet lest I should feel compelled to contribute toward the meal, so when the man approached me, I let him know that I didn’t have any cash. He quietly smiled at me, and moved on.
While the homeless man was still in earshot range, a friend who was just arriving called out “Happy Birthday Marc!” Upon hearing this, the man turned and asked, “Hey man, it’s your Birthday?” “Yes it is,” I said. He walked back to me, a huge smile on his face and exclaimed “Happy Birthday, man!” I was completely unprepared for what happened next: the man reached into his pocket, pulled out a dollar bill, and extended it to me saying “Here man… take this. Happy Birthday!”
Although I was deeply moved by this act of generosity, accepting money from a homeless man was not within my comfort zone, so my knee jerk response was to say “Thanks, that’s awfully nice of you, but that’s OK.” The man looked directly into my eyes and implored “Please brother, please take this. God is so good to me. Every night, no matter what, I always end up with a place to sleep and enough food to eat. He’s so good to me. Please take this.” I was still reluctant to accept this gift, but I heard a voice within me practically yelling, “TAKE THE MONEY!” I hesitantly reached out, saying “Thank you.” Tears began to well up in the man’s eyes. He grabbed my hand with both of his, gave me the dollar, then held on for a moment and said, “No… thank you brother, thank you!” We stood looking at each other for a few moments until he once again flashed his big smile, let go of my hand, turned around, and walked away.Needless to say, that experience left me feeling like I had gained far more than $1! This was one of my greatest life lessons showing that the essence of who we are is never defined by our human circumstances, and no matter how depleted we may feel, we always have something of value to share with others.
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- Posted by revmarcl
- Aug 15, 2016
- Comments (12)
Readers Comments
sally wrote: Om shanti shanti shanti love and blessings
Francieduncan wrote: What a heartfelt story! Thank you so much for sharing.
Tammi Stewart wrote: This story touched my heart and brought a tear to my eye! One day, my 5 year old daughter and i had been out on a wonderful mother/daughter day together and were on the way home. We were at a red light and a man came to my car window and asked if i had any change i could spare. I handed that man my last dollar in my pocket. I had no more money to my name. My daughter looked at me and told me how proud she was of me for giving that man my last dollar because he needed it more than we did! She remembers that to this day and still lives her life, giving to others that need it more! We never know what impression we will have on others!
melnotes wrote: What an awesome story, this so made me smile and feel all warm nd fuzzy inside! Thank you so much for sharing it :)
mnc_91 wrote: Oh my! This is a wonderful kindness story :-) Thank you for sharing :-)
mindyjourney wrote: A strong story, my friend, about the power of giving and receiving <3. Thank you for sharing with us.
Mish wrote: To allow giving is a huge act of kindness, esp. for the homeless. You gave him the gift of dignity as well. Bless
leoladyc728 wrote: really touching story
gambri12 wrote: What a wonderful story! God is good, and present when you least expect it! Thank you for sharing a wonderful and fulfilling moment in your life!
evelyn montez wrote: There's something about giving. We have to let others have that feeling by accepting. What a great story. Thank you!
