Just A Little Water
We were walking down Boulevard Victor Hugo in Nice, France the other day. It was a quiet street - not a lot of foot traffic compared to many other streets in France’s fifth largest city.
Regardless, there was a gentleman sitting on the sidewalk with a small cup in hand. As we walked by he made a simple gesture in hopes of receiving some change.
I can’t begin to count the number of people who have asked us for money over the last few months. It hasn’t been easy to walk by so many people in need, often acknowledging them with little more than a ‘no, sorry’. Poverty and homelessness obviously exist on a global scale, but seeing each face in person has become quite overwhelming.
If the need is so great, how can we ever make a difference?
As we walked past the gentleman in Nice something out of the ordinary happened. He saw that Sarah was carrying a bottle of water and asked if he could have some. As Sarah turned toward him, bottle in hand, he emptied his cup of the change he had been collecting and she filled it with water. He said thank you and we carried on our way. This is a picture I won’t soon forget.
Let us be reminded that a little help can go a long way. Let us be encouraged that the small things can make a big difference. May we not be paralyzed by despair, but instead be motivated by these truths.
Riley
