During my daughter Jolene's tween years, we traveled everywhere by city bus. The experience gave us many opportunities to demonstrate our faith.
Homeless people often congregate at bus shelters. We set aside a portion of our grocery budget to buy food for people we knew by name. Jolene helped choose items that could be consumed without a stove or can opener, and we left bags of these items in the shelter for those who were in need. As we got to know our bus stop "neighbors," we invited them to share a meal with us at the local McDonald's.
Jolene caught on to the lesson. One fall, she gathered coats for the needy. Another time, she spent her day wheeling a girl with multiple sclerosis around school. Whenever she saw someone in need, she shared what she could with them.
—Darlene Franklin
This article first appeared in the September/October 2010 issue of Thriving Family
magazine. Copyright © 2010 by Darlene Franklin. Used by permission. ThrivingFamily.com.