“If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one.” Mother Teresa

How many times does this happen?

You are on your way out to dinner and you get stopped by a red light.  There you are in your air conditioned car listening to music on the Ipod or chatting on your cell phone.  Outside your window is some person, male or female, who looks like they haven't showered in a month holding a sign.  Inevitably it says something about being hungry.  "Me too," you think as you contemplate which steak you are going to get and if you should get everything on your baked potato.  The light seems to last forever as the pathetic excuse for a human being stares hopefully from driver to driver.  Eyes forward so you don't make contact, you punch the gas once the light shifts from red to green.  Now that that bit of unpleasantness is behind you, you can enjoy your evening.

I'm not going to lie to you and say that isn't me.  I've stared straight ahead many times, embarrassed to be at that light.  But I've also been happy to be caught by the light too. 

I don't have excess money lying around waiting to be handed to the down and out.  There are have been low times in my life when I contemplated which corner would be best for me to stand with my own sign.  Luckily I've never fallen quite that far, though.  And that is what goes through my mind while I stare at the red light.  "Thank God that's not me...but it could be."

I'm not advocating for you to hand out hundred dollar bills when you see these people, or even all your spare change .  What I suggest is that you do like one of my friends.  He keeps a couple of bottles of water and some cheese crackers in his car within easy reach at all times.  When he comes to a stop light and he sees some one, he grabs a bottle and a packet of crackers and hands it out the window.  It's not much, but it is a start.

Now, the cynical of you out there may say it's all a scam.  That most of the people standing on the corner are just lazy or down right liars praying on the bleeding hearts and guilty consciouses of the passersby.  I'm not so naive that I don't know some of them are. 

I once read an article in the Dallas Newspaper that interviewed some of the homeless beggars there.  On a good corner, the interviewee claimed, you can earn $140 a day.  That works out to over $36,000 a year... more than I'm making.  But the article also went on to document the truly needy out there.  Those people who are hungry.  Hungry for food, a job, a safe place to live, love, understanding.  Not every person on the corner is an addict or con artist.  

I know I can't save everyone.  But if I can help ease one fellow human beings pangs of hunger, I'll try.  I've handed out burgers before, and received a real smile and thanks.  The good feeling only increased when I saw the gentleman break the burger in half and share it with another man with a sign on the adjacent corner.  I had truly helped someone. 

My challenge for you is to follow Mother Teresa's advice.  Help feed one person.