The Gift of being there, You are the Miracle; HOW your kindness can make a difference
They say this great tree comes from a Mustard seed about the size of this: @
Max, Carlos, Caesar and Pablo
(a little update on these boys: Max is really Maximillian - not an uncommon Mexican name. Max got into a fight at school. Max's mother made him come down and talk with this preacher man. How she knew that I do not know. Max was right to get into the fight, basically protecting is smaller buddy. But Max agreed that we keep our street clean, who cares about their street. Carlos told me the next day Max apologized to the bully and all the girls think he is a hottie now)
These fine young men 9-13 live on my street. It is a good street. Neighbors speak to each other. We are about 5 straight miles from the Mexican border and about 7 from one of their largest penal institutions. In this area these children are now becoming at risk and age for gang usage.
These guys play on the street which is reasonably safe to do. But not really as it is a through street. So they were playing soccer yesterday when I pulled up. Of course they said some smart comments to this old man. But then I offered them to use my front yard to play. It is big enough for soccer but too short for football. The important thing is that we began communication and that we now know each other. We shook hands as neighborly gentlemen.
Children especially other people’s children are easy to talk to
Truly it is not always necessary to do a great deed. But you cannot be available and ready unless you begin communication and dialogue. You can create a home on a street. You can provide each other with your ideas; you can help create options to despair. By being someone who someone else can talk to, you begin a cycle of understanding.
I knew a very great man. I knew him professionally. But in his private life he was reclusive and gruff. I tell you truthfully this man had great insights and marvelous ideas about all walks of life. But he was a light hidden in a closet. His light did not shine for others to see. I am not such a great man. My light may be dim. But I make sure that it is there for my world to see. And in that great things have happened that the great man never saw. Miracles are not always the giving of sight and hearing but often the gift of seeing and hearing another. The best of all lawyers and doctors and pastors are those who listen.
Every huge NFL player began as a small child with little spoons.
Even when bad things happen we can benefit from them.
Caesar took a nasty fall that definitely impacted his collar bone. I brought the four of them water bottles and told them to take it easy for ten, and if not better get him to his mom right away. You may think that giving them the water was a good act, you would be wrong. The really good act was that not one empty bottle was left behind and the yard was clean when they left. What a gift of respect they gave me.
We are so attuned to the spectacular. We crave such immediate gratification we overlook life’s greatest treasures that are small and result from our humanity toward each other. Be available and great things will happen.