Creating a Ripple

Events from this past week have me thinking about the ripple effect. All of us who serve others hope to see the ripple effect in action, though we do not always get to see the fruits of our labor. I definitely believe in the ripple effect. I firmly believe one small act of kindness can lead others to pay the act forward; therefore, our actions have a much bigger effect on the world around us than most of us realize. However, truth be told, I cannot say with any certainty that I have witnessed the ripple effect as much as I wish.

This completely changed this week, and I just want to take a moment to share this tiny event with you. I went out for Breakfast Burrito Ministry, as usual. I met a lot of the regulars and talked story with them. As usual, I had to drive around town to find some of the other folks who prefer to stay hidden. Along the way, I noticed many new faces. This is not unusual. I tend to see more new faces when the weather gets warmer.

One of the new faces was going through the garbage at a 7-11. I hopped out of my car to offer him a burrito and a water. He was very happy to get a warm meal. He also wanted to talk for a minute, so I happily obliged. During our short conversation, a construction worker walked by us. The construction worker gave me a weird look - which is also not unusual, and then went into the store. I was about to head back out to see who else I could find. As I was getting into my car, the construction worker walked out of the 7-11, looked at me one more time, smiled, and then went over to the man and asked him if he could buy him something to eat or drink for later.

It was amazing. The construction worker went in and bought him a couple of things, came back out, gave me a nod, handed the guy some food and drinks, and then took off. I had finally seen something other than dirty looks and condescending stares. This construction worker saw what I was doing, and he wanted to do the same. Moreover, he did so expecting nothing in return. It really blessed me to see someone else do something for the homeless. I only hope others will do the same.

Anyway, I just wanted to share this with you all. Sometimes it feels like our efforts don't help at all, but we don't always know how we are creating change in the world around us. If you can make a difference in the life of even one individual, I believe it is completely worth it. To see others try to help is also pretty incredible. Keep at it. It's been over year since I have seen anything besides people giving me dirty looks or making rude comments about helping those in need that they perceive as unworthy, but every so often you see something amazing that shows you that it is all worth it.

Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful week, everyone!