With the recent worldwide crisis and recession, oil price hike, increasing price of commodities in the market and with lost of jobs, I don't think someone would still afford to spend too much on anything. Well, for me not! Even if I'm running out of penny, I still find time to purchase things that I want. As they say, "buy the things you need but not the things you want". I hope I could live up to it.
Nowadays, wherein every penny counts, people are on the verge to choose to whom to give the penny, may it be on righteous way or may it be on something they would really want or need.
Few weeks back, when my boss and I are in the gasoline station to load my car. We saw a guy selling "Sampaguita". I was then sitting on the passenger side and this guy came in front of my shield. Since upon filling up the tank, my boss accidentally lowered my window and exposed me to the outside environment, then the engine turned off. I don't normally mingle nor look at strangers faces 'coz I was the type of human wherein I easily get feel bad on whatever status of those someone in front of me.
Then this guy came in front. Asking me to buy a piece of his "Sampaguita". Out of the nowhere, I said to this man. "No, thanks!". After few seconds, we're done filling up the tank and rushed my window to close. As I close my window, the man stood still with a good smile on his face. For me, it was the best smile I've ever seen from someone I don't know asking me to buy his stuffs. Then, the window went up and closed. Suddenly, the smile I saw went like into shutter, a really sad face on the man's previously smiling good face then he went out. For me, it was like the feeling of having the night passed by without someone buying his stuffs. He passed by the rear end of my car, then I urgently asked my boss to stop the car yet and shouted at the man to come back and buy his "sampaguita".
The man went back into place and I asked for the full amount of all "sampaguita". He said, "it's 55 pesos" and he'll give me one extra bundle since I purchased it in bulk. Though, I don't have the need to buy it in bulk and aside from the fact that I don't know where to place. I didn't have the second thoughts of buying it.
After buying it, the man went ahead of us and crossed the street. Holding the money I gave, I felt like something strange crossing down my spine that I helped someone who's really in need as I sensed it. We turned across the gas station and seeing the man crossing the street, holding and staring at the money I gave is like something that will bring food to his family's table and will survive the night. I don't easily get affected by such and I don't normally help out people in the streets 'coz I know majority of which will be used against into something like "drugs or bad habits". This time around, it's different and I'm glad that with the small amount I gave is so big enough for him to help his family survive the night.
That night, I have learned how to be grateful into small things that I haven and even if it that small, I am blessed.
The sampaguita I bought was placed into our altar 'coz I know I had helped someone though God's simplest way of testing my good heart.
I just now remembered a verse in the bible that "what I did to the least of my brothers is also what I am doing to Jesus". I hope I just helped Jesus' son through that simple way.
