Two coins and shoelaces

The latest in the seemingly trivial but hugely inconveniencing and dehumanizing treatment of the people we see is that they are coming without shoelaces. The laces are removed before going into the holding centers and never returned. Children, adults, infants... they don't discriminate.

Luckily, since we are in the middle of a city, we could do a quick run to the local Target and Dollar General to buy all of their laces, and hand them out, through the need is definitely greater than the supply. 

In relation to this, I got to thinking about the characters you meet in a motel, from the Tesla owner to the woman with two pennies. In the parking lot yesterday there was a Tesla, probably the only one in all of El Paso, here in the La Quinta parking lot. It belongs to one of the people who provide meals regularly for our 100+ guests (amazing volunteers bring in the food for lunch and supper to keep our guests fed, generally local churches or kind families). 

After Instagraming the Tesla, I passed a woman who appeared to have lived a hard life, exhibiting the signs of a drug addict, very irritable and likely in between "doses". She was complaining about the kids and the noise - well let me tell you - these kids don't peep. Librarians are louder than these little ones. I was told she is probably "working" out of her hotel room, and judging by her much happier mood today, I assume things went well for her last night. Before my high horse gets too mighty though, (I am about to be knocked off), she reached out to us and donated a bag of new kids socks she mistakenly bought and then gave us 3 bags of her own clothes to hand out. I can't imagine she has too much extra, since she is living out of the motel, and I think I understand why Jesus just watched as people put money in the Temple funds. 

This woman and her two coins (or three bags of clothes) gave what she had, and it probably meant a lot to her. While I am grateful for the meals from the Tesla owner, he definitely gave from his abundance, and this woman, who's name I don't even know, gave so much more, even if we can't use it all. 

Tonight I am musing that I saw a Bible story played out in real life completely unscripted, and am reminded to not judge or assume so much. I am eager to see what other lessons life in a hotel will bring.