Merry Christmas to my peeps

Well today is the day.
Today is the day that Santa Claus has visited those who were both naughty and nice, gifting those who have been benign with pleasant things and those who have been naughty with lumps of coal (and as long as the RLSV exist the coal industry will no doubt thrive.)
Today is the day when the blessed birth of our savior Jesus Christ gave hope to the world and it is this very thing that I wanted to speak of today...hope. And if you're an atheist of just in the mood to be a schmuck and argue or belittle me for your perverse amusement then just letting you know ahead of time.. your responses will be deleted and you can go lick the scum off a sewer pipe for all I care. I have no inclinations to entertain your nonsense.

As I spent time with my family this morning after having them open the bounty of Christmas gifts that Santa left them I decided to give my wife a much needed chance to clean up the house. Toys scattered everywhere and empty boxes from where they came from made the place look like a hurricane and earthquake hit it simultaneously. So I gathered my kids and headed out to Burger King for them to play in their indoor amusement center. Along the way I saw a homeless man walking the streets with no shirt on. His skin, especially on his back, was testament to the harsh and unforgiving life that homeless live. His whole world was kept in a rusty beat up shopping cart and he did not have shoes which no doubt made walking on the hot streets asking for spare change hard to bear. My heart broke when I saw this, especially on a day as today when we are driven to give thanks for what we have.

 So I called my wife and said "Honey, can you prepare a sandwich for someone who really needs it?" She knew ahead of time what I meant as I am planning a local  homeless assistance mission so we have had most of the supplies for a while. She made the sandwich and we added a bag of chips, a water bottle, and brand new plain white t-shirt that I got from Walgreens. I drove back (leaving my kids at home to pick up after I was done) and came up to him to offer him the help. He looked up at me and close up one could see how badly his body and spirit has been ravaged by his condition. I did not hesitate...I knew what had to be done. I introduced in a friendly manner and said "Merry Christmas. Here is some food for you, something to drink, and a nice new white t-shirt for you." He was very thankful and somewhat amazed but when I showed him the white t-shirt, there was a glimmer of joy in his otherwise withdrawn and sullen eyes. He looked at me and said, "Oh thank you so much. God bless you. I really needed this. This shirt is nice." I reached out and shook his hand, a hand that was as rough and calloused as sand paper and said "Merry Christmas". As I drove away he looked at me and waved, screaming out "Merry Christmas and God bless you." I shouted back to him "Thank you. You are not forgotten."After wards I picked up my kids and took them to Burger King.

Perspective check here. When I gave him the shirt he acted as if I had put a pile of money at his feet. I find that incredibly telling that something so unremarkable could be seen as such an answered prayer.In the long run a sandwich, a water bottle, and a plain white t-shirt may not move mountains, it may not solve world hunger, or cure AIDS. But in that moment, to someone who lives a life of constant despair and desperation I gave him what he needed...a sense of hope and a spark of joy ultimately that is what I try to accomplish every time I do this.
 
So to those who care about me and I call friend, Merry Christmas and a hope for a good new year. To those who vilify me and take shots at me whenever you can I leave you with this. In trying to do so you have failed and you always will. You will never break me, you will never crumble my resolve. Your hate is a measure of your own weakness. No doubt you'll keep trying but in the end you will do what you always do...fail miserably and look bad doing so. And that's fine by me. :)