Dear Reader:

This will be a short blog, but it is an important one for me to remember (about something I recently witnessed) and want to share with you.

As difficult as it has been to watch the devastation on television from Hurricane Harvey and the total destruction it has left in its wake…it has been, as equally hard, to avoid. Many of the scenes from newspapers, television, my Iphone, and radio programming are deeply embedded in my psyche…and my heart.

Thursday morning…I saw a gift of giving that touched me and has been present in my thoughts ever since.

When I woke up Thursday morning…it dawned on me that I was out of cereal, milk, and bread. The only staple keeping me going was toilet paper for which I was very thankful. I had meant to stop Wednesday and pick up my breakfast basics and bread for sandwiches but had forgotten to do and so as I lay in bed I groaned to myself that I needed to get up, get dressed, and go to the store…which reluctantly I did.

In order to take all the daily prescriptions I am on…I must have food in my stomach before taking the majority of them. So it wasn’t something I could put off…I had to do this in order to stay on my “Daily Dozen” prescription plan… as I call it.

It was about 8:30 in the morning so Bi-Lo was almost empty when I grabbed my small cart and started down the aisles. Two bananas, cereal, lowfat milk, yogurt, and bread. There…I had done it.

There was one, lone elderly gentleman in line ahead of me when I approached the one cashier at the only working check-out lane. The gentleman had a basket with two bananas, cereal, milk, and bread in it. No yogurt but everything else was the same.

I smiled and made a comment that we could have just “dittoed” each other’s grocery list. He turned, looked at my ‘mini-cart’ and smiled back nodding pleasantly at me. “It’s all we need isn’t it?” he replied in a soft gentle voice.

It was then that I noticed his hands shook rather badly as he began pulling dollar bills out of his wallet. The cashier told him what the amount was and the gentleman handed her a ten and a five. He got back a couple of ones’ and some change. I could see him counting the rest of his money he held tightly in his hands.

Five ones in total…and some loose change. He put the loose change in a change jar and was folding his five ones when I heard the cashier asked him something and he paused for a moment as if thinking about the question.

Then, without another second’s hesitation, he nodded and unfolded the five ones and handed them all to the young girl behind the counter. I heard her thanking him automatically, without even looking up, and putting the ones in a separate slot in the cash register.

The man turned back to me, wished me a good day, took his two bags and started to turn…but then slowly turned around and said to me “Aren’t we so blessed?” I told him we were indeed and watched him shuffle out of the store.

I handed the cashier my few items that I was putting on my bank credit card when the cashier asked me “Would you like to contribute to the Houston Emergency Hurricane Harvey Fund?” I nodded and said certainly…and told her amount to add to my card. It was then that I realized what had happened to the gentleman before me.

He had a decision to make…he only had five ones left to probably last him awhile…but instead, he gave all his money to the relief fund…because in his mind…he was blessed beyond measure while there was need elsewhere.

Immediately I felt like I was back in Biblical days watching the widow give all she had.

Mark 12: 41-44

The Widow’s Offering

⁴¹ Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. ⁴² But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

⁴³ Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴ They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

There is no doubt in my mind that the gentleman had given everything…all he had to live on for a certain period of time. What for me was simply breakfast food…I have no doubt, for him, was his enire daily amount of food…breakfast, lunch, and dinner combined.

Whereas I took more out of my checking account…he was the one who really gave Thursday morning…because he gave everything.

Now I am the one who  feels blessed for being there in Bi-Lo (at the right moment) to witness the miracle of completely unselfish  giving to our fellow man in need.

So until tomorrow….Thank you God for letting me be a witness to one of your disciples of love.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

My moon flowers seem to be in a regular pattern of producing one moon flower bloom every other evening…I look forward to it as the bloom starts to open and I can watch it unveil right from my window.

Football season has arrived! Good luck to everyone and your favorite team this season! I got my new garden flag ready and cleaned off Honey’s clay plaque…Bring it on!

I kept Rutledge and Lachlan for Walsh and Mollie to run go eat a bite together at Surmets…wonderful restaurant on Daniel Island..a dinner out to celebrate Mollie’s promotion.

I watched Rutledge swim and Lachlan play with dad…then they left to go eat and we went to the park and played… came home and ate supper. Walsh and Mollie returned early and suggested we all go to the new house. Unfortunately the code they were given didn’t work but everything on the outside looked good….just a little painting left to do.

While we were admiring the house…Rutledge pointed to the sky and told us to look ….a beautiful rainbow…actually a double one. I told Mollie and Rutledge I took this as a sign that the house was being blessed…their own covenant with a home for their family and soon new little sister.