Kennedy
I first met Kennedy after another long day in the city where I had once again been unsuccessful in most of my endeavors. And I was in a foul mood.
I was on my way home and peeved that I had to make yet another stop. Why couldn't there be fast food drive-thrus like the "civilized" country I had come from? As I gathered my purse, cell phone, and list, Kennedy approached my car. I had already shooed away the men selling socket wrenches, DVDs and talk time. I didn't have time to deal with this kid too. I'd always managed to dodge him before. This time though, he was there before I even got out of the car.
"Madam, ground nuts?" he asked in a nearly inaudible voice.
"No, I don't want any."
"Only 5000, madam." I did the math in my head. That was about a buck for what looked like 3-4 pounds of peanuts.
"No, I don't want any," I repeated a bit more sternly.
"Madam. Please." He said it with such a sad, pathetic look on his face.
"No, I'm allergic to ground nuts." That wasn't really true. Just intolerant, not allergic. And I don't really like them anyway. Thinking I was safe, I stormed off into the Castle Supermarket.
It was nearly dark when I reemerged loaded down with groceries. In a country where the average worker earns 10,000 ZMK per day, I'm sure I had just spent 100,000 ZMK ($20) without a second thought.
I had already reversed my car out of the parking space when he showed up at my open window.
"Please, madam, I need money to buy notebooks for school."
I groaned inwardly, but something tugged at my heart. Was it his raggedy clothes? Was it the fact that it was nearly dark and he was still trying to sell me something? Or was it the defeated look in his eyes? Maybe it was the former teacher in me.
Whatever the reason, I pulled out a 5,000 ZMK note. I told him I still didn't want any ground nuts and made him promise me he would only use it to buy notebooks. I saw him bounding into the store as I drove away, skeptically believing that he would probably use it for sweets or a fizzy drink instead.
Last evening, I was refueling my vehicle at the BP station next to Castle. I was going through the normal routine with the vendors and beggars. "No, I don't want any DVDs. No, I don't want any socket wrenches, drill bits, umbrellas, socks, or talk time."
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a boy with a bag of ground nuts. It was the same kid. Was I really going to have to tell him again that I'm "allergic" to peanuts?
Instead, he surprised me. "Madam," he said in a strong clear voice, "I just wanted to thank you. You gave me 5,000 to buy notebooks for school."
"And did you?"
"Oh, yes, Madam," he smiled a big beautiful and heartfelt smile.
It turns out that Kennedy is in grade 7 and is thirteen years old. He didn't ask for anything else. He simply said, "Thank you."
His graciousness and his gratefulness have touched me to the core. I am so blessed, yet how often do I stop simply to say "Thank you," and expect nothing more? How often do I take for granted the things I do have and complain when I don't have all I want (not what I need)?
Lord, may I never take for granted the many unearned and undeserved blessings you have given me. May I never become so hardened that I "forget" those who have so little.