Empathy for the poor and the homeless comes from somewhere, just like with all things, ‘been there… done that’ gives you the feeling of a particular experience. You have felt the disdainful glare… and it makes you tender hearted when the homeless man approaches. No matter that it might be self-caused – you know he longs to feel dignity, and so you offer some money and tell him, “I wish you the very best.” And you mean it.

Last night I was talking with a very wealthy man, listening to his experiences. He told stories about his friends, and these were the oddest stories… so far outside my realm of experience. “Wow, you really know some strange people,” was all I could say. What stood out? The fact that I had never lived that… I had no feeling for it. And I confess… I was grateful.

I have nurtured the belief that a focus on money would take me away from my purpose. So it seems this belief is a personal challenge of mine, and maybe it is yours too. Can we step outside the system’s control, focus on the spiritual, and have plenty of money at the same time? Can we actually be limitless in our expectations?

Denying yourself certain experiences because of the entrapping nature of those experiences is real, and it’s wise. But why money? Why do we see it as entrapping? We’re getting to the point where the renewal is to be manifested, and it wouldn’t hurt to have some to spread around.

So today I’m working to understand the conditioning and programming behind this mindset… the closest I can come to it for myself is ‘sacrifice is divine’.

Who taught me the nobility of sacrifice? Well, I don’t need to ask really. It was the sacrifice of Jesus story that I absorbed in childhood. I didn’t realize that the underbelly was guilt. Do I regret taking those messages to heart? Not at all. They led me to experiences that have increased my understanding.

I’m sure my stories would be as strange sounding to the wealthy as theirs are to me.

I know how it feels to be homeless. I’ve been homeless under the worst of circumstances… pregnant with a 1 ½ year old baby. I didn’t get there through drug addiction or ill behavior… it was inadequate planning, trying to travel on a wing and a prayer. One wing is not enough! But two human angels did help me out of it. I can now teach the wealthy how to help the homeless if they’re interested in knowing.

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