Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Generosity




Mr. Roy and I were sitting in front of a bank of pay phones in the Atlanta airport recently. We had just had a discussion about whether or not those phones ever got used anymore when a man came up to the phones and read the instructions, then turned and asked if we had a quarter he could borrow to make a phone call. I, sadly, shook my head and told him I didn’t have any change, which was a lie and I knew it. Mr. Roy, however, immediately bent down and started digging in his briefcase for change but could only come up with a couple of foreign coins. So then he offered to let the man use his cell phone to make the call! By this time, Mrs. Roy was totally ashamed of myself and knew it was time to fess up. I reached in my backpack and gave the man a quarter, and he was so grateful. He made his call and left but his memory has stayed with me. All Mrs. Roy can say is that if I ever find myself in a strange place needing the kindness of a stranger, I hope I run into someone like Mr. Roy and not someone like me.

Jesus says we should love the Lord our God with all our heart and all our soul and all our minds and our neighbor as ourselves. Mrs. Roy failed at that and I’m going to do better.

2 comments:

  1. I think Mrs. Roy was just cautious ... as I recall all manner of folks with all strange manner of circumstances usually approach Mrs. Roy to discuss and advise. I think I'm going to start carrying four quarters in an easy access pocket, so that when the needed they can be given and shared.

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  2. I used to have a roommate when I lived in that same area that Toby & Boyd lived in that would pack an extra sandwich everyday so that when she walked to work, she could give this homeless guy food. She had also given him money, but was afraid that he would have it taken from him and still not be able to eat. I always think of her in the context of generosity because she had it down.

    Luke 6:30
    Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.

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