Blessing Bag Update

I am writing this post not to boast about my small act of kindness but instead to encourage you to find a small way to help others.

I finally found someone that needed a blessing bag. Evie and Henry were home with a sitter and I was off to look at fabric. My blessing bag parked on the seat next to me since chances were high of finding a special person that might need this bag. There is always a homeless person at this exit - Harding Road - off 65 if you are a Nashvillian. 

I was a little nervous driving up the exit because I knew this might be tricky. It's hard to accept help and sometimes it can be difficult to offer help. I prayed for the words to speak as I approached this man and for God to bless this man in his daily life. Let me tell you that the person that was blessed was me. I pulled up and the light was red - I rolled down my window and exchanged plesantries with the man while offering him the bag. I told him that there were snacks in case he was hungry and some other items that he might need. He became emotional and told me that those snacks would help him a lot. He rummaged through the contents of the bag and conveyed his appreciation as he absentmindedly rattled off the items. "Pens, I need those and peanut butter crackers are my favorite." 

Packing that bag was not a big deal for me - it only cost one dollar - for the copy of The Contributor. We have more than our share of toiletries from Carl's travels, our pantry is overflowing with snacks and my school supply cabinet has plenty of pens and paper. It cannot get any easier than creating blessing bags for me and there are multiple opportunities to help the homeless population in our community. 

It made my day to chat with this man with the missing teeth and the dirty hands because it was a real conversation - he really needed those items and I really needed to try to make a difference. We both were a little teary and moved by our interaction at the traffic light. I was so thankful for a long cycle on that light. That man with sparkling blue eyes and a gentle voice will be on my mind for awhile. It might not be as easy next time and the person may not be as receptive to receiving a bag of items from my pantry but it is worth it to find the person who needs it.

I was excited to rush home and tell Evie about this special man. She listened for a bit and asked me if he had gray hair and did I know his name then she moved on and told me that it was time for a snack. Can't wait for another opportunity to show a little kindness to someone who needs it while lifting my spirits in the process. Next time, I might even take a hint from Evie and find out the persons name. 

 “Sometimes it's easy to walk by because we know we can't change someone's whole life in a single afternoon. But what we fail to realize is that simple kindness can go a long way toward encouraging someone who is stuck in a desolate place.”
― Mike Yankoski