No, he’s not the billionaire
Just a fellow working to make ends meets.
No he doesn’t even have enough for himself
Just cares enough to ease the pain of another.
No she’s neither the president nor the wife
Just your everyday female who can’t afford
To see a genuine need and walk away
Until she has contributed her quota.
Yes they all lack and want for more
Yet they see beyond churning wheels:
Good hearts that see people and needs
With tender eyes of grace and care.
They said we live in a crazy world but how do you live peace in chaos? We know that the world is not perfect and its inhabitants are not flawless. To preserve the peace within despite the tossing without, I found a formula that works for me: I choose Scripture’s counsel to be innocent as doves and wise as serpents. Innocence keeps my heart tender, receptive, and appreciative of good. Wisdom enables me to smell evil from a distance and disappear before it appears. Sometimes I am careless or complacent and miss. Nevertheless every day, I wake up with expectation that defies dejections and determination that trumps inflations: I make the choice to constantly be on the lookout for good. And I see them.
I took a taxi which also picked along others going the same direction. Time to pay and all of us had more than the fare and hence needed change. The young man sitting beside me offered to give up his change to pay part of my fare if I had a lower denomination to make up the balance to the driver. I didn’t. In fact, I held the highest denomination. Besides, I didn’t want him to do that (yeah, my mum’s voice in my head, “Don’t take things from strangers,” – who ever grows out of those :).) I turned and looked at him; young gentleman with no expectations. “No, thank you,” I smiled. But the driver didn’t have enough to go round so the young man spoke directly to the driver and I ended up with slightly more than my due change, courtesy of the driver not able to break it farther and the gentleman offering to let me have his since I stand to lose more than he would. That settled it. I said thanks but he paid no specific attention as he nodded.
When we got to our destination, he stepped out and went his way without a second glance my way. I knew because I needed to verify what this favor was about and I saw it: just a kind hearted gentleman, giving not because he has enough, giving not because he doesn’t need it, giving not to get my attention or get anything from me, he was just rising to meet a need and make life easier for a lady sitting beside him and the driver who couldn’t help the situation. I smiled and took note: there are still good people around.
It is easy to assume that you, your family, and your friends are the only ones that go out of their ways for others. We are quick to conclude that people only aid those they know if they do at all. The fact that we rarely witness people who grace unknown faces with goodness, does not imply that they are in short supply. Evil might be everywhere but the world is sustained by good people. They are not the acclaimed philanthropists whose hand-outs are marketed by the media. They don’t fit any spec, they don’t even try. These are normal people like you and me who despite their personal struggles would see a need, rise to meet it and move on without a backward glance. We may not encounter them in action every day but they are there, all around us; rising as the need demands, silently meeting each occasion.
To all the good people out there, I dedicate this article: keep up the good work. That kind gentleman touched me that day without even realizing it. It wasn’t about the money which I could easily afford, and which was not his business to ascertain. He just did what he had to do and went his way. He was in that car to touch me and he walked away, mission accomplished. The world may not be what we expect, our journeys may not have turned as planned, people’s attitude may have rocked our imagination, yet the world is habitable because of the good, the kind, the thoughtful, and the selfless.
Life is great because of people like you – yes you! And I write this to say thank you for making this world a better place by your goodness, your kindness, your thoughtfulness, and your selfless sacrifices. Keep your eyes open; keep giving, keep helping and don’t stop: there is hope in this world because of people like you. Yes there are terrorists but they are nothing in comparison to all the normal people, living the extraordinary simply by contributing their little quotas of help: I salute!
Glory!