As part of The Ark we talk about seeing faith differently. So today my own faith was strengthened and indeed encouraged as I saw God at work. I was in Bristol City centre unlocking my bike in order to make my way home when I was interrupted by what I was observing happening close by. I stopped and I watched, listened and cried. (Happy tears!) There was a homeless person standing nearby. A child came by pulling their accompanying adult with them towards the homeless person. In the child's small hand there were 2 chocolate coins and the child proceeded to give one chocolate coin to the homeless person. Their face lit up and they smiled and cried, they were clearly touched by this act of kindness. That was not the end though! Then the little person handed over their second and last gold chocolate coin. The homeless person then said "you have one and I will have one" but the child refused and said goodbye. That homeless person went off down the street literally hopping and leaping,smiling from ear to ear and kept on looking at the coins in their hand. Then they started to stop people and tell them what had happened. I just stood for a little while in order to take this moment in and store it in my heart. And I cried again!
Those gold chocolate coins appeared to mean more to that homeless person than real gold coins. It was the genuine love and kindness the child showed that touched that person and meant more than anything to them. This was an encouragement to me on my faith journey to continue to naturally and genuinely love others, to do this in the moment with whatever we are and have. To act when we get that nudge we can't explain. I don't know about you but I often end up talking myself out of things because I don't want to upset someone or offend them, sometimes this is good but there are genuinely other times when certainly for me I just need to accept the nudge and act just as this child did. There were no second thoughts. I wonder how this real story makes you feel.
Those gold chocolate coins appeared to mean more to that homeless person than real gold coins. It was the genuine love and kindness the child showed that touched that person and meant more than anything to them. This was an encouragement to me on my faith journey to continue to naturally and genuinely love others, to do this in the moment with whatever we are and have. To act when we get that nudge we can't explain. I don't know about you but I often end up talking myself out of things because I don't want to upset someone or offend them, sometimes this is good but there are genuinely other times when certainly for me I just need to accept the nudge and act just as this child did. There were no second thoughts. I wonder how this real story makes you feel.
