When Cupboards are Bare

"A small bag of food on the porch."

When Cupboards are Bare

Some days have more impact than others.  This was one of those days for me; it started with a meeting.  It was with one of my long time clients.  Her business has been struggling over the course of the past eight years so she is in the process of liquidating some of their real estate holdings.  She was closing on the first piece of property to sell on this very day.

I greeted my friend and asked how she was doing. She smiled and told me that her health issues were getting worse.  Just one day had passed since her doctor had given her more bad news.  I felt sad when she gave me the details and I promised to stop by her home later in the day to make things easier for her.

By the time I got to her home it was evening and I was tired.  But that soon changed when I rang the bell and was greeted by a wet, black nose as the door opened just a crack.  I knew that nose.  It belonged to her Labrador.  In a flash he was out of the door greeting me with a wiggling body and a wagging tail.  It was the greeting I expected, but there was the unexpected coming my way.

We sat down so I could review the final documents before we would talk about life in general.  That’s when I found out that my friend was in the process of a deeper change than I knew.  Her mental and physical turmoil was leading her on a spiritual path of renewal and while challenges remained her constant companion she had also found other, comforting companions.

She told me how her pain had allowed her to seek and develop a spiritual life that she had never embraced in the past.  And, how this had provided her with a new community of helpful, caring people that were giving her vital support during her time of need.  She described how she had worked and learned over the past year so she could be officially joined to her newfound community.  Her eyes radiated hope, peace and promise.

When I stepped out of her front door I could feel her hope in my heart and I immediately saw it as well.  I hadn’t noticed it upon my arrival, but there it was; a filled Scouting for Food bag awaiting its pick up Scouts.

My friend who has struggled financially, physically and mentally for so long was no longer struggling in spirit.  She was giving to others when her own cupboards were closing in on being bare.  That’s when I knew she was well!  She has found the best of herself during her worst times.