Don't Take the Little Things for Granted

I am feeling the need to share whats on my mind (afterall isnt that what a blog is for!?)  I work in Downtown Nashville. I am not new to Downtown Nashville, or Nashville's homeless population. Too often I feel that we (I too am guilty of this) drive by that person selling the contributor (Nashvilles homeless newspaper) on our morning commute without so much as a single wave or smile,. Sometimes we ignore them because we have 50 thousand other things on our mind and they're just there everyday. I am making a more conscious effort to pay more attention to my surroundings and treat others not only the way that I would want to be treated, but with kindness and treat them the way Jesus would want them to be treated. Today the realization of how I take the little things in life for granted hit me! and it hit me hard! It is SUPER hot in Nashville, today the temperature was 95 at 4pm! and I am sure the heat index was well over 100. As I was walking around downtown after work, a woman asked me if I had a few dollars to spare so that she could get something to drink. There were several people in front of me that she asked the same question too, but they were so engrossed in their conversation that they ignored her. When she asked me it hit me. Its hot in Nashville, I have the ability to get water, and I have access to drinking water and hydration any time I want it. If for some reason I get dehydrated its 100 percent my own fault because I have plenty of resources at my disposal. The coaches that coach the summer running group im in have been preaching to us all summer, its hot, hydrate, hydrate hydrate. Today when this woman asked me for a few dollars to spare for a drink, I realized that its most likely not so easy for her to get water or something to drink I did not have any cash to give her, so I offered to go across the street to the little grocery store and purchase her a drink. She requested a sprite.I brought back both a Sprite and a Water. As I was in the grocery store the thought that immediate came to my mind was how the running coaches have been saying all summer to drink more water! so I bought sprite and water. There is no way I can really explain this sudden epiphany other than this was God's way of telling me that I need to be thankful for everything I have and to never take anything, not even the 89 cent bottle of water for granted! I am thankful to God for putting these thoughts in my head and for making me pay attention to the least of these.