There but for the grace of God, go I

  On Christmas Eve, I helped serve dinner and hand out items at a local soup kitchen.  n the course of the evening between 50 and 75 people - old & young; single, couples and families; drunk and sober; clean and dirty; civilians and veterans - came in for dinner and some free items. These items consisted of socks, gloves, underwear, hats, sweatshirts, bibles, playing cards, and candy.

  I got to talk with some of them.  Some wanted contact and conversation others shied away from any direct human contact.  One gentleman told me that he had never sunk this low in his 65 years on earth, but he knew that God took care of Old People.  A young couple did not seem to be down about their plight, but took it in stride and thanked us profusely for helping them.  Many of them were drunk or smelled of alcohol.  Most of these seemed to be just getting by.  They were only thinking about what comes next - where is the restroom, where is the dinner line, where do I get clean socks, is the shelter going to be open tonight.

  For a Florida evening, it was cold.  It was forecast to be below 40 degrees and had already started to get cold when dinner was served.  Despite this, few of the patrons wanted to stay inside and hang out.  They seemed to either 1) have some place else they needed to gt to or 2) didn't want to overstay their welcome.  This second feeling may have come from previous experiences at the facilities. 

  The staff knew most of the "hard cases" by name and recognized pretty much everyone.  After we were done, they shared that one of the gentlemen there that evening had been a Physician in the local town.  Somehow he had gotten hooked on drugs and eventually lost everything - his practice, his family, and his home.  He went over the cliff and could never get another hold on that very slippery slope.

  Many of us have faced situations where drugs, alcohol, ill-gotten money, extra-marital affairs, name your temptation were readily available to us.  If we had partaken of them, then we too could have gone down that slippery slope to some dark, sad bottom like this individual.  Faith is an everyday thing.  Not just faith in God, but faith in our loved ones and faith in ourselves that we can do the right thing and persevere.

  I was recently asked about my Bucket List.  I really don't have a Bucket List.  To me, a Bucket List implies that if for some reason I do not accomplish these items, then my life would somehow be incomplete.
  If we use this definition, then I have already fulfilled my Bucket List.  i have found the love of my life and am spending my life with her. I have two beautiful children that make me proud each and every day.  I have given of myself in service to my country and community.  These are the things that I would include in my Bucket List.
  Do not take this as I am contented with a static life.  I have much that I would like to do, people that I would like to meet, and places that i would like to go, but they are not on my Bucket List, they are part of me living my life simple as that.