walking down my block this morning

Today is monday and on my street that is trash day.
Number one priority for me is to get the trash to the street.

Today as I was taking the little one to school, a woman was walking down the street a dark skinned Mexican woman. She was carrying a bag and looking in the recycle bins up and down our block. I watched as she went.

As I watched her, I had a couple of emotions. One was that I wanted her out of my neighborhood, just for own safety. My neighbors might call the police and I just wanted for her to be away. It reminded me that poverty is close to my house and can come into my neighborhood. I lost control of my life and now it was being confronted by her life. I did not really want that, because I had no solution.

The other emotion was compassion. So, I called to her, "Senora, Aqui." I brought out of my garage a trash can full of aluminum cans. She was not asking for money, she was scavenging off the crumbs from our tables. So, I was going to give her what she asked for I brought out the cans that Samuel and I had been collecting. I saw that she was born in Mexico by the immunization scar that no longer graces the arms of American kids. We talked and I wanted to be honest, "Para Mexico, Honduras?" She said, "Mexico" I asked, "Durango, Sonora, Guanajato?" She told me where, but I forgot. I prayed for her and told her that God will bless her. She said, "God bless you."

I am not sure what is the proper response is during such instances. What is just? What are the moral hazards? But, I would not this day let her go unnoticed. I needed to tell her that she was not invisible to me. Was it just my need, not her's? I don't know. Moments like these are complicated and the depths of scripture give no clue as how to do it as an individual. It gives way of governing as a large system, but individual's in America you are on your own.

So, we are left with only one response..."Compassion"
I pray that I was compassionate enough today and if not God, "I am sorry, I did the best I could at that moment."

How do you show compassion?