Brother can you spare a dime?

Welcome! I hope everyone had a good week and that you are looking forward to tomorrow!  I know I am! 

I don’t know where this week’s post is going to take us since I kind of sort of feel like I’m on a share lockdown right about now. Huh, what’s that you say!? Well the best way for me to answer would be for me to say; I have a lot of things I want to share with you, but I’m not ready to let the cat out of the bag so to speak. Give me a week or two and I’ll do my best to fill you in and take you out of suspense, that is if you're in suspense.

So in the mean time I’m going to share some random thoughts and experiences from this past week.

I’ve been praying about my decisions and directions in life to make sure I’m on the right course and asked GOD for a sign to let me know. Well, I planted a pineapple plant in my backyard here about 4 years ago as an associate looked on. On one of her recent visits as we were in my backyard she commented. “Pineapples must take a long time to grow”. I told her that after all this time the pineapple wasn’t going to grow and that it has become a very large and beautiful non fruit bearing plant.  Well one day last week I went out in my backyard and was marveling at GOD’s glory and looked down at the pineapple plant and there it was, a baby pineapple. Now I think that’s clearly a sign! 

Like in the states people that beg here tend to hang around areas associated with money; banks and grocery stores mostly. Anyway when most of them see me or any foreigner they almost run to you, often times dragging behind a blind or otherwise infirmed person. Recently I was the supermarket and beggars on foot, in wheelchairs and crutches literally chased me from place to another. Geez! I felt like I was walking through a flock of pigeons. Because there were so many of them on the chase nobody got any thing. All I wanted to do was escape. When it’s able bodied women with children I refer them my organization’s literacy program. But this day, phew! Sometimes I’ll ask them, “You see all these other people around you, why not ask them as well and stop targeting me because you think I have money.” And when you’ve given to them in the past they treat you as you’re a returning customer when they see you and hurry to you. This has annoyed me for such a long time. Not giving, but the targeting part of it. 

That is until today, I had a revelation. An epiphany! What I heard in myself, my spirit today when a young girl that was leading a blind man in my direction while I was sitting outside my gym waiting on a taxi. I was thinking to myself that they looked familiar and I could tell she was thinking the same thing of me. I went on to think, “Don’t target me”, when I heard it deep within. “When Jesus was in an area there would be throngs of people around him and his disciples were there as well, but the people didn’t shout for just anybody in the crowd. They didn’t shout after or for His disciples. They shouted for Jesus and they shouted for Him because they knew He had something for them!” BOOM!!!!! So I will do my best to no longer see myself as a target, but as someone special to them, because in their mind they think I have something for them.  I’ve been convicted! To GOD be the glory! I’m not saying I’ll give to everyone all the time, that’s the purpose of creating my organization; a way to help many. But I will definitely view the mindset of these beggars differently.  

Looks like a sign to me!