Recently I invited a homeless man to have lunch with me at the Soup Plantation so that he could eat as much as he wanted to fill his tummy. I met him over the phone when I was calling Father Benno’s, a soup kitchen. Something within me stirred to invite him to lunch. Since he did not have a car, I offered to pick him up.
We had a wonderful four-hour lunch. I learned a lot about his struggles but more importantly, I left lunch feeling a greater gratitude for a roof over my head, warm shower, comfortable bed, and food on the table – all of which we may not think twice about. He, too, enjoyed the connection, his lunch, and a rest from spending his afternoon on the streets.
I learned long ago that one person alone cannot solve the homeless epidemic in California or the U.S.; however, each person can make an effort to humanize the homeless in their own way. Did you know that 40% of the U.S. population lives paychec
k to paycheck? Should a financial emergency or burden occur, any one of those 40% can end up homeless on the streets.
For this holiday season, perhaps you may want to try something new. Buy a meal for the person asking for money instead of giving him spare change. If you can make the time and find courage, invite them to share a meal with you. Jesse Jackson once said, “Never look down on anybody unless you are helping them up,” and Rumi reminds us, “When we practice loving kindness and compassion, we are the first one to profit.”
We had a wonderful four-hour lunch. I learned a lot about his struggles but more importantly, I left lunch feeling a greater gratitude for a roof over my head, warm shower, comfortable bed, and food on the table – all of which we may not think twice about. He, too, enjoyed the connection, his lunch, and a rest from spending his afternoon on the streets.
I learned long ago that one person alone cannot solve the homeless epidemic in California or the U.S.; however, each person can make an effort to humanize the homeless in their own way. Did you know that 40% of the U.S. population lives paychec
k to paycheck? Should a financial emergency or burden occur, any one of those 40% can end up homeless on the streets.For this holiday season, perhaps you may want to try something new. Buy a meal for the person asking for money instead of giving him spare change. If you can make the time and find courage, invite them to share a meal with you. Jesse Jackson once said, “Never look down on anybody unless you are helping them up,” and Rumi reminds us, “When we practice loving kindness and compassion, we are the first one to profit.”
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- Posted by HeartRock
- Dec 30, 2019
- Comments (13)
Readers Comments
kmbhai wrote: very nice..we should try something beyond the money. Thanks.
drjoybug wrote: Beautiful kindness from you â£ï¸
LoveyDovey wrote: Such love and kindness. Thank you!
mindyjourney wrote: A shared connection is a beautiful thing â¤ï¸. Thank you for providing a meal as well as conversation :))
Mish wrote: You gave your time, your listening, your sharing...your heart enveloped this shared communion. Bless.ðŸ™
pluto178 wrote: So lovely x
outdoorsy wrote: Such a beautiful thing to do!
BCLE wrote: That is truly a beautiful experience, thanks for sharing and hopefully opening up a lot of our eyes.
A verry "happy new year " to you!
A verry "happy new year " to you!
Yvonne wrote: When we listen to another they become real. That says we value them. A kind story about listening.
Kim N Anderson wrote: I love the quote by jesse jackson ~ "never look down on anyone unless you are helping them up" ~
