Payback Time

I went shopping this morning. Grocery shopping. For the Wesley Food Bank. Our church has a food bank. It’s open one day a week - Thursdays. Cyril MacPherson usually does the shopping. His wife, Karen, helps distribute the food. Cy’s been doing the shopping every week since 1996. I thought maybe he might welcome a break.

So this morning, I did the shopping. $215. worth of dry goods. Soup. Pasta. Laundry soap. Dry cereal. Canned goods. That sort of thing. Two shopping carts full. I loaded it all in my car and later carried it up the stairs into the “food bank” room at the church. It didn't cost me anything but my time. The church pays for the food.

I’ll continue doing this every week until Cy wants to resume it. I kind of liked doing it, Ms J. It feels good to help, doesn’t it? Life has been pretty kind to me lately. Well, there was the broken leg thing and the nasty business with kids and ex-wife. The son on drugs and trips to the mental hospital. But I mean other than that, it's been pretty good. Really.

So I give something back. I pay back the kindness others have given me. Thanks for smiles from strangers, and hugs from friends. Thanks to friends and neighbours who have offered help these past few months. Thanks to those virtual friends around the globe who read this blog and offer encouragement in my times of trial. Thanks even, to the patient lady at the grocery store. I had such a massive order and she let me go first at the cash register.

"It's OK," she smiled. "Go ahead. I have lots of time."

To all of you, I say thanks. And I offer myself in this small way: I'll shop for the food bank every week for the next few months. And I'll carry the groceries up the stairs and put it away.

"We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great Love."

- Mother Theresa -

***