“Even the smallest act of sharing can make a difference. I remembered that one summer day when slicing a cold watermelon. From my kitchen window I could see the thermometer’s reading of nearly 90 degrees by 9 a.m. I heard the usual Friday morning roar as the lawn crew arrived with their mowers, blowers and edgers. These deeply tanned guys show up each Friday during mowing season, covered in dust and grass clippings. I know from experience that mine is not an easy job given my corner lot and the fairly steep banks on which my house sits. Then it occurred to me how delicious and how welcome a slice of cold watermelon might be to these young men on a morning so hot and getting hotter. I hesitated. I wondered what they might think. Would they consider it some sort of bribe? Was it improper? Would they grow suspect? Maybe they don’t even like watermelon, I considered. Maybe they’re allergic. Then I caught myself. How frequently we censor altruistic instinct, fearing rejection, fearing misunderstanding, fearing something. The nonsense of this line of thinking struck me. Who doesn’t like a cold slice of watermelon on a hot summer’s day? I grabbed two slices and two paper towels. Based on their response, the pink fruit might have been gold ingots, so appreciative were they, so astonished. That small sharing – the giving and receiving – made my day, and perhaps theirs.” The next time you feel the urge to share, do it!

This story is from Colleen Smith, author of Catholic Stewardship – Sharing God’s Gifts