Yesterday I was pulling out of my favorite local fishing store in Bradenton. As I was easing out onto 1st St, I recognized that I was blocking the sidewalk. A man, who looked to be homeless, or at the very least shirtless, rode his bicycle directly in my path.
Instead of making him go around me into the street, I promptly backed my car up so he could stay on the sidewalk. His look of appreciation and hand wave spoke 5,000 thank you's to my heart.
I think he was taken aback that someone would do something, even something small, for him. Something that showed he was important, and worth backing up for.
Now I'm not patting myself on the back here or claiming that I am a mini-Good Samaritan. This is probably the second or third time I've done something like this, and I've received the same extremely grateful response the other time/s as well.
It is just an observation: people really respond to you treating them like they are important. And when someone is treated like he/she is important, they really appreciate it. Particularly when they may not have been treated in such a way very often, or even ever.
Psalm 8 reminds us that even though men and women are sinful, they are still amazing creations who reflect something true of their creator. That is why doing things to honor others, or as Paul puts it in Philippians 2:3 "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves" really resonates with folks who are often treated poorly.
Our actions, no matter how seemingly small, ought to reflect this truth. Whether we like it or not, our actions do reflect what we truly believe. Believe me.
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