Giving Back

Today I stumbled across something I jotted down back in November after a Community Breakfast. Here's the gist:

This morning, a couple named Sarah and Mike came through the line like everyone else, but I noticed right away that something was amiss. Something didn't quite "fit".... She, especially, was one contradiction after another: Her demeanour was tired and worn, and yet she was quick to smile; she was clearly hungry, and yet she had neatly clipped and styled hair, manicured nails, and perfect make-up, i.e. the overall look of someone who has money. For a moment, I mistook her for a new volunteer, but then she began thanking me for the free hot meal. We started talking, and she told me her story.

Sarah and her husband both lost their jobs at roughly the same time. Soon, their savings were gone; and then their car engine blew. They hit bottom about two months ago, and now they're living at the Salvation Army. She was a realtor for 13 years. Now she works at McDonald's.

The American dream blew up in Mike and Sarah's face. Just a short time ago, she was selling real estate. I can picture her leading potential buyers through spacious kitchens and plush bonus rooms, her heels clicking on the shiny wood floors. Now she's homeless. And yet she still has hope. "When we get back on our feet," she told me, "We're going to give back." She admitted that she's still in shock, but trying to have a good attitude. Somehow, she's aware that there may be more to the situation than her immediate crisis. "I've come to the conclusion that God wanted me to see and feel and experience how other people live."

Though it's been eight months, I never saw Sarah and Mike after that day. I'm amazed by her spirit, and I pray that she and Mike were able to get back on their feet and that she'll soon be giving back, just as she promised. I wish the best for this pretty, bone-weary woman who served to remind me that pain isn't wasted when we emerge from it ready and willing to give back.