Compassion Where You Least Expect It

I debated over whether or not I should write about this incident that happened to me the other day all last night. On one hand I didn't want to write about it because I didn't want to come across as if I was trying to make myself sound good or like this great person. That's not the case. I in fact recognize that I am not and in many circumstances am quite the opposite. That being said, I finally chose to write about this incident because I think that the story has a great moral to it.

A moral even for me to learn from as well as every one else.

Yesterday afternoon around 2:00pm I had got off work and was driving down the street to hop onto the freeway to head home. As I got into my car I could see the heat waves literally pour out of my car. My steering wheel was hot to the touch and I immediately cranked on the air conditioner.

As I drove down the street, just about to hop on the freeway, I got stopped by a red light. I looked over and there was this homeless man standing on the center island holding a sign asking for money to get food. He was wearing jeans that were dirty and faded, a t-shirt that probably used to be white but was now more of a brown color, and a grey baseball cap. As the sun beat down on him he looked like he had just walked through Death Valley. I looked at the man and then rolled my window down. He looked at me for a second as I rolled down the window, but he did not move. I waved him over and he smiled as he ran up to my car.

"Do you want me to take you to get something to eat?" I asked him.

"I would love that," he said, his sweaty face brightening up.

I reached over and unlocked my door and he climbed in. He immediately thanked me over and over again as he shook my hand.

"My name's Don," he said.

"My name's Ben," I said back.

As we drove a block down to a Del Taco he told me that he used to be a truck driver, but he had been laid off. He said that he had a wife and a daughter as well. Again he thanked me saying that he really appreciated it. I told him it was no problem.

We went inside of Del Taco and I told him to get what ever he wanted. He stood there for a moment looking up at the menu then asked if he could get the combination #1.

"It's only $5," he said. "It's the cheapest one."

"Get whatever you want," I said. "Don't worry about the price."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah of course," I said.

He smiled again then asked if he could get the combination #3.

"It has two tacos," he said. "I can give one of them to my wife."

I asked if he wanted me to get her anything, but he said no, that it was okay. I paid for his food with a $10 bill then gave him the change. He looked at me with uncertainty in his eyes, like a small child who had been given some great gift.

"Are you sure?" he asked me again.

"Yeah don't worry about it," I said.

I asked him if he needed a ride any where else, but he said he was okay. I walked out of Del Taco headed towards my car. As I was getting in to my car he peaked his head out of the Del Taco door and gave he a thumbs up and yelled thank you. I closed my door and drove off.

The reason I decided to write this was because I think that we can all learn something from Don.

This man has nothing.
He has no house,
no car,
no job,
and no money.

What this man does have, however, is a lot more concern and compassion for others then I have seen in a lot of people who do have a house, a car, a job, and money. When I told Don to get what ever he wanted he still chose the CHEAPEST item on the menu because he didn't want to be a burden. After I told him to get what ever he wanted he chose something with two items in it because he was CONCERNED about his wife. And when I asked if he needed a ride any where else he said no because he didn't want to be an INCONVENIENCE to me.

This man who has nothing was still concerned about me, not wanting to be a burden, and he still thought about his wife and her needs as well.

It's sad that a homeless man is more compassionate than most people in the world.

It's sad that this man with nothing still has CARE and COMPASSION in his heart when a lot of other people who are way better off don't have these qualities.

The next time you are driving down the street, getting on or off of the freeway and you see a person standing there holding a sign asking for a little money for food maybe you should ask yourself...

"Where's my COMPASSION?"