Small Things Count

A fellow parishioner decided when her kids were very young that they needed to learn charity.  She taught them to give something to every person who asked.  Each time that they were approached by the disabled vet outside the drug store, the homeless man on the street, the uniformed woman from the food-providing agency, the Salvation Army man with the Christmas kettle—anyone asking for help or for their aid in helping others—they would give a little something.  I asked, “What if the person’s a fake or will spend the dollar on alcohol or drugs?”  Her answer was another question: “What if they really do spend it on food for themselves or their family?”  This woman was teaching her children an important fact.  That is, it’s our job to be charitable; it’s God’s job to decide who He sends our way and why.