One night a man came to our house and told me,

“There is a family with eight children. They have not eaten for days,”

I took some food and I went.

When I finally came to the family, I saw the faces of those little children disfigured by hunger.

There was no sorrow or sadness in their faces, just the deep pain of hunger.

I gave the rice to the mother.

She divided it in two, and went out, carrying half the rice with her.

When she came back, I asked her, “Where did you go?”

She gave me this simple answer, “To my neighbors-they are hungry also.”

I was not surprised that she gave–because poor people are generous.

But I was surprised that she knew they were hungry.

As a rule, when we are suffering,

we are so focused on ourselves -we have no time for others.

–Mother Teresa

it can be very difficult to look outward when we are facing trying situations. i think that the heart has a clearer perspective toward understanding when we do. i also think by offering whatever we do have in abundance (how ever small it may seem), we offer hope…and in those trying times…by planting hope for another person, our heart believes that hope is possible when it needs it most.

D