Behind the Smile

 It takes effort and work to be cheerful, happy, and always look for the best in people and situations. Often I have to "gear up" to ride out a situation where I don't want to be mowed over or walked on. 

A very nice young lady - well she is just over 40 which is now young in my book - was very nice to me, gave me a hug and a kiss and wanted to take a photo with me. Inside I just knew I was a mark. Sure enough she explained how high her rent was, what she was able to pay and what she needed to make the difference. Because a day or two earlier I had given her money for a taxi, she felt I could be generous and help her out with her rent. 

I went through the thoughts and ideas of self-reliance and told her the church does not help individuals, just hospitals, schools, government like mayors and such, she still felt I needed to give her aid. I told her I could help her with food money that came out of my own pocket and it was not from the church. The very next day she was asking when I could give that to her. She also said how much she like banana bread when I told her I was cooking that morning for the security guards. So I gave her Cedi's, banana bread, and a Book of Mormon. 

How much does a hug and a kiss cost?

My other friends here feel free to expect more Cedi's for their lives when I have given them something in the past. I keep telling myself that I expect a lot from God and I'm a beggar of Him too. It is finding balance as I have been given so much from God and I have chosen to give service, money, and aid to others. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the high expectations of need and sometimes I give "small, small" to many and it feels balanced and right. I have never felt a satisfaction of giving enough as there is a black hole of need and want. 

Three levels up 

On the other hand, yesterday some workers were way up on scaffolding that they built like tinker toys just to wash my windows on the third floor. They had done my bedroom windows last week and this week it was my kitchen windows. I went out and took pictures and Marco Polo video to share with my grandkids. I offered to make banana bread in acknowledgment of their efforts, though I didn't have enough bananas or eggs. I substituted applesauce and baking powder and made it anyway. 

They came back later in the day to finish up the windows over the front door that they couldn't build scaffolding for - by hanging out the balcony window to reach another bedroom window. Later one worker came back and thanked me for the banana bread and said, "God Bless you." That was nice.