The lady was bent over with age, her knees creaking with arthritis as she hobbled around the table in her apartment. Her nose was long and her wrinkles deep. I could tell she was an European lady from the accent. As I heard the lilt in her voice, I immediately became excited. I love Europe and hope to travel there one day. The more I meet of people from that region the more the hunger grows.

I started talking with her trying to get to know her better. It was apparent that she was quite poor but she said she was blessed. Her face broke into a smile when she mentioned the gift of a 20$ Kroger gift card. On one of my visits a couple from Meals on Wheels stopped by to give her the gifts that she had bought for her grandson. She had captured their heart just as she was doing mine.

She no longer drives so she has to rely upon the kindness of others for many things. There was one time when I was at her apartment and her phone didn’t work. I used my cell phone to call the phone company to get it fixed because I did not want her safety compromised. Somehow her grateful nature makes me want to always do more for her.

She said several times that her heavenly Father was so good to her. She had gotten a few gifts but only that which she needed, you would have thought she had gotten gold when you saw her smile.

I know of two other people who are not my patients. They have three luxury cars, a lake house and a beach house and all I ever her about them is that they don’t think they have enough. I wonder if it is because they are liars or if it is because they spend everything they have on themselves, never realizing the joy that comes with sharing?

The lady who is my patient is very poor in money but rich in gratitude. The other couple is very wealthy in material possessions but poor in thankfulness. I suspect that my patient is the one who knows true contentment and happiness. The wealthy couple may only know the despair of poverty because selfishness never leads to contentment or fulfillment.