Yesterday, while picking up clothes from the dry cleaners, I witnessed a real act of thankfulness. 

When I walked into the business establishment, there was a man in front of me. After overhearing the conversation, I realized that the man was homeless. Having just been released from prison, he was living under a bridge and had come in to see if there were any clothes that people had not claimed that could keep him warm in the upcoming winter months. Clothes were found and the man was grateful. Then the most amazing thing happened. The employee of the dry cleaner store took off her shoes and handed them to the man. The homeless man was both humbled and full of gratitude.

The employee is a long time acquaintance through our patronage of the dry cleaning establishment. What makes this most amazing is that she is raising her 4 grandchildren on the salary of a part-time job. On occasion, our church has given her gas or grocery cards. 

After she gave the man her shoes, she also gave him one of the grocery cards I had just given her. She looked at me and said, “You don’t know desperation until you have been down like us.” 

Thankfulness is both lived-out and learned. I learned a great deal at the dry cleaners yesterday.