Decency still exists: Pay it forward.

This morning on my walk up to Carmen's house I got in front of the fruit truck. I pass him every once in a while on my way up to Carmen's early in the morning. This particular morning he decided to slowly follow me all the way up the hill (instead of passing me), using his megaphone to broadcast what he had for sale...and occasionally tease me, too. He managed to get around me at the corner...and when he stopped to sell some eggs to a woman the man on the truck gave me a melon for free, just because. As he handed it from his truck he yelled "God bless you!" I in turn told him he was going to help bless a woman with a wounded foot who couldn't leave the house. I was in turn able to give it to Carmen, who had no fresh fruit in the house.

 I was still thinking about that melon on my way back to the house. I stopped at Maria's (one of my princesses) in the Tahoe to visit with her mother and father who were sitting on a bench on the side of the street. I asked how their new business was going (a new little convenience store called a pulperia  where you can buy candy, soda, and occasionally foods like empanadas, tortillas, and fruit). I told them how much I enjoyed their daughter and how she was always well behaved for me (she tends to be a TERROR, but with boundaries and limits she can behave quite well when she wants to). As we were talking Maria's mother, Marisela, gave me a chocolate covered banana (MY FAVORITE!!!!), just because. As she handed it to me she said, "God bless you." Not wanting it to melt or go to waste, and being my favorite, I ate it right there while I visited with them a bit more.

I'm still thinking about these little gifts...They may seem like nothing to the people who give them, but they show that decency still exists in the world. We may occasionally complain that the world is going to hell in a hand basket, but is it really? Here were two examples in the same day about how someone can make a difference in some one else's life with something as small as a melon and a chocolate covered banana. They made a difference in Carmen's and they made a difference in mine. I felt encouraged. Remembered. And like there is still hope for people. Like there are still people thinking about others before themselves and love and peace and all that.

It also reminded me that God DOES want to bless us. And how does He do it? Many times He uses US!! I WAS bless by God through the kindness and generosity of two people. And God was able to use me to bless Carmen in the same way.

Many times we think to bless some one we have to do something extravagant. Like build them a house. Or anonymously give them a huge sum of money. Or witness a miracle like the blind seeing. God does want to bless like that, absolutely. But I think He wants to bless us every single day, too, but in simpler ways. So the next time you're doing what you're doing, living life, working at what you work at, think about a simple way to bless some one else. It could be as simple as a melon or a chocolate covered banana.