A man was in a hurry to check out at a local grocery store and found himself behind a women with two small children.

He selected the line because the woman had very few items in the cart.

It was obvious that the woman was poor.

With every minute delay the man grew more impatient.

When the public assistance card the woman was attempting to use was denied ... he reached a breaking point.

He looked at the cashier and asked ... How much is the bill? He was told $22.37.

He gave the cashier $25.00 while thinking I’m going to be late; friends are arriving,  and the wife is going to kill me.

The cashier reached to give him change – he said ...give to her, she needs it more than I do.

The girl turned to him. Her face was flushed. Tears were in her eyes ... she said ... thank you – God bless you. My husband was laid off. He’s looked but hasn’t found work.

I’m so embarrassed. I’m so sorry.

After leaving the store, the man sat in his car several minutes.

He knew something had just happened that he was unprepared for.

He felt ashamed for being so obviously impatient and unmoved by another’s  pain...another’s suffering.

He wished he had acted with compassion instead of irritation.

As he was leaving the parking lot - the man said a prayer for a man he didn’t know to find a job.

Small acts of charity have unintended consequences. Sometimes more so on the giver than the receiver.

Unexercised Virtue becomes Unpossessed