One dollar really can bless a man. Years ago, I went over to my dad’s house to visit. He was so happy to see me and had this one dollar bill he physically wanted to show me. He was so excited about telling me the story, about how he had gotten this special one-dollar bill. I cannot for the life of me, remember a time when I saw my dad happier!
My dad said he had been waiting at a bus stop in downtown Atlanta. He was just standing there minding his own business when this man in a suit just came up and tried to give him a dollar. He told the man that was nice, but he didn’t need it. The man insisted and my dad took the dollar and said, “Thank you.” My Dad always loved a good joke or a funny story. He was joking around with me about how special that one dollar was, as he physically waved it in my face to see. He said he was now another $1 richer and didn’t even have to do anything to get it. The joke was that my dad was never a rich man and sometimes one dollar really did make a difference in his life. He was just a Simple Country Man living in the city.
Small Gifts
I wondered why Jesus brought this story to my mind while I was in prayer, so I ask for understanding. He wanted to give me some understanding about the importance of needs, small blessings and gifts. A dollar can really make a difference in one person’s life. The giver, in this case of that special one dollar, got a blessing from God based on the kindness and compassion, etc. that lead him to give. The receiver of the dollar is blessed to get something more than just the tangible dollar from God, when they receive it in joy and gratitude. It also shows we never know when we might get an unexpected blessing from God. Each little blessing from God, even a dollar blessing is worth more than what we can hold tangibly in our hand. I realized that one dollar was still blessing people years later because, I had a big smile on my face just remembering my dad’s story and how much he enjoyed telling it. Bottom line: it’s all about the attitude, the feelings of the giver and the receiver. Sometimes we just need a kind thought, a smile or one dollar.
Focus on God
Holy Father of Love, Please help me give at least one smile and a kind word to someone who needs it today. Help me follow Jesus and keep my eyes focused on Him. Then with His help, I will treat others as I would want to be treated. Amen