Flashback- Flash-Forward

Editor Note: This is a posting from December 12, 2010...

I remember like the third of fourth week that I was here I had just finished eating at McDonald's with my roommate and took my drink with me.  As I was walking down the streets we saw some beggars on the street.  They were a boy and a girl, maybe eight or nine years old.  All I know is that the little girl all of the sudden just grabs my drink out of my hand and starts drinking.  The little boy was laughing as the girl starts drinking with a huge smile on her face. 

I was still in shock with the fact that this little girl snatched this drink out of my hand.  I would have given here the drink if she asked but I was so unaware that things were this bad that a girl would try and steal something from a large black man that's about 4 times her size.  Fast-forward four months and I had just finished buying Cinnabon's in one of South Asia's largest cities.  As I was attempting to catch an auto, I saw a child that reminded me of the beggar girl four months before.  She started talking to me in a language that I didn't understand, but using enough context clues; her hand being out, her appearance, and the fact that she followed me with such desperation, I knew she was asking for money. 

I reach out and gave her the change I had, but she persisted to follow me.  Now this is very common for this to happen and most people just go on with their business, but I caught the girl looking at my box of Cinnabon's.  Inside my head I was thinking no, not my Cinnabon's, but I remembered in the book of life it say that if someone ask for something you should give it to them.  So I handed this girl a cinnamon roll and her eyes just lit up.  She grabbed my hand and said, “Thank you, Thank you”.   As I drove away I could see how she savor the taste of a good sweet treat she had not experience in a long time, if ever. 

I took away many things from this experience. First is to give whole-heartedly and not half-heartedly like I did.  If we can't give with the little things he gives us how do we expect to do so with his bigger tasks?  Secondly, it is not only just giving people what they want, but also what they need.  This little girl wanted money, but the things she craved were food, attention and love.  People crave the perishable items, wealth, food, health, etc. and as much as we aim to help them with these needs, we need to tell them about something that isn’t temporal.

 That is Father, because if they don't know about him, helping fix there needs in the now and present will not help them on their day of judgment especially if you had a chance to tell them about Father and you didn't.  Do you want that on your conscious?