Off to a tech conference I went. My hotel was booked and I was staying at the Radisson for 2 nights. When I arrived I checked in and began to unpack. As I carted all my stuff up to my room I leave my jacket in the trunk of my car. I returned to my car to get the rest of my things from the trunk only to realize that the vehicle was locked. I searched through everything I had looking for my keys with no luck. I laid on the bed replaying the events of the day to figure out where my keys ended up only to come to the conclusion that they were locked in the trunk of my car.
I dislike hotels at the best of times. I don't enjoy being by myself and am use to lots of activity around me. After figuring out how to get a spare set of keys to me I had lots of time to kill but with nowhere to go and no vehicle to get me there.
I decided to walk to the theatre a couple of blocks away as The Avengers was just released and that would be a way to kill some time. It was rainy and cold outside so the walk wasn't all that pleasant especially with my jacket in the trunk of the car. When I finally got to the Galaxy Theatre the show was all sold out. As I looked through the rest of the movies playing there was nothing else that interested me so I left.
On the way out of the building there was a guy sitting on the street asking for spare change. It looked like he had been there awhile but I didn't notice him when I walked by him the first time. He looked at me and asked me for some change. I asked him what he wanted the money for and he replied, "I am hungry." I told him I didn't have any change but that I would buy him whatever he wanted if he would pick a restaurant within walking distance.
So off we went to find some food. We arrived at McDonalds, I had hoped for something a little better but I gave him the option and that is what he picked. I paid for the food and the two of us had a meal together where we discussed many things about each others lives. It was nice to have someone to have supper with and he had some interesting stories to tell. He had been struggling with health issues and was unable to work. He said he was living in a furnace room for now as he could not afford anything else. He asked me for money a couple more times and I responded with I had no money with me but that we can go wherever he wanted and I would buy anything he needed. He declined that offer and we walked back to the Theatre where he began asking others for change.
It was an interesting evening. I had been spotted going for lunch with this guy by a couple of people I know who also were going to the conference. The next day they asked me why I took this guy out for lunch. I responded with, "He said he was hungry." They laughed at my answer and told me what a nice guy I was.
After this evening I felt a sense of pride at how nice I am and what an impact I had of this person's life. The reality is that my ten dollars and 30 minutes of kindness probably had very little impact on this guy. This was an important evening but more for me than the stranger. I live in a world filled with money, toys, devices and distractions. I spend more money on entertainment for myself in a year than many people in the world make. I buy devices because they are "cool" and "uptodate" not for any great purpose. I use excuses to explain away some of my purchases telling myself that I work hard and deserve to treat myself, but in my heart I know sometimes I am wasting my time, and resources on things that have no value.
It is months later now and often I wonder why this is such an infrequent thing in my life. Everywhere you look you will find people who need help, emotionally, financially, or just need a friend. I need to make random events of kindness become a lifestyle, not a one time event.
The random supper with a stranger doesn't make me a nice guy, it points out how awful I am to think that such a tiny expression of love is such a great event.
I pray God will continue to work on Building a Better Me.
Luke 12:48 "For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required"
