One Hour
From Chicken Soup for the Soul: Believe in Miracles
By Michael P. Shearer

The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention.
~Rachel Naomi Remen

I was on jury duty in downtown Pittsburgh and decided to take a walk during our one-hour lunch break. As I was walking, I noticed an elderly lady holding up a sign. The sign said: “Will work for $, trying to get home.” I passed her by, but then I heard an inner voice that said I should go help her. I thought of putting a couple bucks in her box, but all I had was a twenty-dollar bill that I intended to use for groceries on my way home. Selfishly, I didn’t want to part with the twenty, so I started to walk away, but then I felt like God was directing me to go back to her.

I walked up to her and started a conversation. Her name was Katie, and she was homeless. She had been a dishwasher, but lost her job and ended up on the street. She told me she wanted to go to Colorado Springs where she had relatives. She said she wasn’t having much luck with her sign and donations. I really wanted to help her, but I now had only about forty-five minutes to get back to the courtroom. (Keep reading)