Hearts of Gold

Kitty Lion decided to take up philanthropy.

I should be excited, but some days it is hard. Why? I am constantly reminded of how selfish humans are, not excluding myself.

I ask for a dollar to go towards children with disabilities, and the man on his second alcohol run for the day, ringing in a whopping $120, looks at me as if I have just asked him to hand over what's left of his 401K.

Give. Me. A. Break.

I shall step off my soap box now to tell you of a story that touched my heart beyond measure :) 

A man came through my line mid-way through my shift. There was nothing out of the ordinary about him, except for the fact that when I asked him if he would like to donate a dollar, he responded with an excited "yes!" The first "yes" of the day, might I add. Not only that, he pulled out his wallet to see just how much cash he had to donate.

Three dollars. He gave all the cash he had, with a very generous heart. 

Then it came time to ring up his groceries. He told me he would be paying with an EBT card, but as soon as he uttered the words, a warning sign flashed across my screen that he card had been declined.

Long story short, after trying every other card in his wallet and having them all declined, and calling his wife to see if she had any money, a very embarrassed and defeated man walked out of my store without his food.

Before he left, I asked him if he would like his cash back, from his donation.

He looked at me as if I had lost my mind and said, "no honey, that is for the kids."

My heart broke for him. 

I wanted to run after him and tell him to forget the impatient and ruthless customers that stood behind him huffing and puffing for ten minutes, forget the embarrassment he had just experienced, forget it all, because if He knows the Lord as His personal savior, He will inherit the Earth one day!

Hearts of gold. They are rare, but they exist. In my opinion, that man was a fine example.

So as customer after customer came through my line, fulfilling their every momentary want and need by the world's standards, I was reminded of the man who left seemingly empty handed that day, but with the type of attitude Christ would have embraced.

He gave all he had.

So I ask you the same question I asked myself, what do I have to give?