Aging Support Group

Best Prayer I Have Heard In A Long Time:

Heavenly Father, Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.

Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.

Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.

Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.

Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love.

Funny you should post this right at this time. Tuesday, a man came into my store, about 50, and told me that he needed to get his work truck towed off the freeway before the police had it towed. He needed 65.00 for a flat bed or if the police towed it it would cost over 200.00. Well, I himmed and hawed and decided that he appeared to be an honest fellow and he kept telling me he would be back in 2 hours and pay me back and appreciated me doing this for him. I even said to him be sure and come back so I don't loose faith in humanity. Well..................he did not come back and the phone number he gave me was disconnected. I was so angry and decided I would never help anyone out again, but then I got to thinking that there still are honest needy people out there and not to let this one jerk make all my decisions about mankind for me.

I sure hope he really needed that money because that was a really rotten thing to do. Must have been a professional scam artist cuz he sure had me fooled.

Sometimes we just have to take a chance. Too bad for the next person who comes in and says they need money for help.

I posted some signs if someone is lying. Check it out.

That is one of the best prayer I have ever seen too. It was so right.

Sue so sorry bout ur experience, I would probaly have done the same thing. That will not go in his favor in the end. You did the right thing but I gurss we could go broke if we are not more careful just so hard to know who is scamming u.

Hugs Georgia

Thanks you guys for not saying how dumb I was. I just have to think things through a little more and not act so fast.

I don't think you are dumb at all Sue. You acted out of y our compassion for others.

Unfortunately, some others do take advantage. When you add it all up how many people you have h elped during your lifetime, the ones taking advantage of you are most likely a minimum number.

Upon thinking about it, most people have someone they can call, in their family or their friends, when they are in a jam. What makes me mad is your profit was stolen, and I think you work hard for that money that you count on for your bread and butter.

It's not an easy lesson to learn for sure, but there are those who manipulate older women, on an emoitonal level, and we need to be careful of those. They are out for themselves.

So all of us can be reminded that we are older, and more compassionate than before, but have to protect ourselves from the "wolves in sheeps clothig."

And I feel sad, Sue, that it happened to you,but in the end, he'll get his!

Thanks you, appreciate your support. Still feeling kinda bad but I'll be OK. I hope maybe he will do something good with it, but I have my doubts.

Of course you feel bad about it, Don't be nice about it, say damn!, he's a jerk, I didn't know, and don't beat your self up. Sue, we've all been bamboozeld along the way at some time or other and it could happen again to any of us, we're just people.

We love you.

I wuv you guys too and thanks again. I found a website that lifted my spirits a little called dailygood.org. Check it out, it's pretty cool.