Something beautiful happened in the parking lot of my grocery store yesterday. There is a man, who I assume is homeless, who is often in the far corner of the lot and waves to all the cars driving by as he holds a sign and sits in his camping chair. Usually, if I have just bought some fruit, I will offer him some, and he always accepts.
Yesterday, I noticed him and took out a banana to give him and threw it in my diaper bag so I could easily grab it as I drove by him. As I pulled out of my parking spot, I looked over at him to try and read his sign. For some reason, I always doubt that he will just want a piece of fruit. I'm so sure he just wants money, so I wanted to see what his sign said in case it said something like "Money for beer, please". As I backed up, I noticed he was wearing white headphones. I literally stopped the car where I was and thought, "If he can afford headphones, he definitely doesn't want my piece of fruit! Not today." I kept backing up and switched into drive as another thought came to my mind. I stopped again. "It's none of my business how he got those headphones, or that he even has them at all. That is his business. My only job is to love."
You see, I just finished taking a life changing make up course taught by Michelle Money. How is that related? Let me explain. Michelle (yes, from The Bachelor) wants to teach women their worth. She also believes that the more in tune with ourselves, our minds, and our thoughts we are, the better able we are to love! She gives amazing tools to help you recognize your thoughts, determine if they are true, and choose if you will let it affect you. One of the tools is called minding your own business. For example, if someone is rude to you, that is none of your business! That is THEIR business. Michelle teaches how to not be affected by things that aren't your business!
So, I had decided my business was just to love this man and offer him a banana. I drove up and rolled down my window. "Would you like a banana?" I said, as I pulled it out of the diaper bag. "No, no, ma'am, that's your lunch! I don't want to take your lunch," he said. I told him not to worry and that I had just bought it in the store and he was welcome to it. He thanked me and said God bless you and returned to his chair.
As I drove away I realized just how ridiculous I had been for even thinking that he didn't deserve my banana. I drove to a nearby park where Cohen and I often go to play and eat lunch. I just parked and sat there with my hand over my chest, in shock with what had just happened. I have grown up learning the gospel of Jesus Christ and trying to be a good, loving person, but it wasn't until now that I truly felt in tune with Him and his teachings. It is because I have learned to recognize how God sees His children. He sees us as love.
As I took this two week online course, I loved how much of it is aligned with the teachings of Christ. Michelle has a way of teaching what I know God wants me to know, but with little tips and tricks that can be applied in very real situations.
Yes, I learned how to better apply my make up (still workin' on those dang brows and lashes), but I learned even more about how to love myself and others. It has opened my mind to see how whole and true the gospel of Jesus Christ really is!
