“The man who gives little with a smile gives more than the man who gives much with a frown.” – Yiddish Proverb
A few days ago I was granted the esteem privilege of volunteering at a homeless feeding center. For some unknown reason, I felt as though I got ran over by a greyhound bus and immediately steam rolled into a freshly paved road. Needless to say I felt sluggish, out of whack and had a slight scrooge-like grumpiness coursing through my veins. As time progressed, a group of guys that frequent the shelter attempted to convince me to play in a pick-up basketball game with them. Initially, I was hesitant and didn’t have an ounce of desire to frolic up and down a basketball court in an attempt to heave a spherical shaped, air filled object through a sun beaten, and rusted orange hoop. After a repeated one hundred and twenty seconds of recruitment, I decided to lace it up and mix it up a bit on the court.
Within seconds I found myself cracking jokes, giving high fives, and building a rapport with a group of homeless guys I never met before. This game represented hoped hope, or a getaway from the reality of the hardships of life which they face every day. A single game served as the combination that opened the vault that contained the thoughts and feelings which they graciously shared with me. I almost allowed my selfishness, laziness and personal agenda to cost me an opportunity to be a positive influence and a blessing to someone else.
How often do we allow our own interests, agendas, and our lemon extract-like attitudes to contaminate the reservoir of joy, and gratitude we can experience from serving others.
“To serve is beautiful, but only if it is done with joy and a whole heart and a free mind” – Pearl Buck
Don’t allow your opportunity to make a lasting impression on someone’s life to bounce away from you!
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