Simple Expressions of Gratitude 💕

Homelessness has a way of making you feel guilty, not sure why but it does. Something about seeing people on the side of the road, in the heat, asking for money or food is disturbing. How are they staying hydrated? How do they cool off? Do they have a family? You ask yourself all these questions and then you wonder if any help you provide is relevant. You know you can’t feed everyone, but maybe you can offer food to one, and then you think what about the others?

As a very young woman I used to obsess over how much I donated to charity, how many people I offered food or money in the city when I saw them and how much food I donated during holiday food drives. One day a homeless man cursed me out about the amount of money I had given him and from that day I vowed not to give anyone on the street money. In my quest to explore different churches in Phoenix I came across this message.

And in that moment I remembered, simply act with love and kindness always and help in ways that are comfortable for you individually. Helping doesn’t always mean food or money, sometimes it’s as simple as a smile and treating a person on the streets with respect and dignity. We don’t know their story, or what transpired in their lives that lead to homelessness.

I have to remind myself to practice some form of gratitude daily, we often fail to appreciate how blessed we are when we are consumed with daily challenges. Thankful for the reminders I received yesterday that seemed like divine intervention.