Now understand I didn’t say that, the guest said it.

“Do you want a muffin?” the high school girl in charge of “pastries” asked.

“Well, yeah,” the homeless man, the dinner line guest, replied.

When she handed him his halved blueberry muffin, he paused and asked simply, “Do you have any chocolate ones? I don’t like blueberries very much.”

She gladly began to dig a little deeper into the “pastry” box to find a chocolate dessert. It was a little slow that day, so she could take the time to treat the man’s request with some respect. When you only serve 385 meals in an hour instead of normal 600, you have a moment or two.

He seemed surprised that this fifteen-year-old girl actually cared enough to look. I think it might have embarrassed him. He stopped her and said, “Nah, that’s all right. I guess beggars can’t be choosers. Please give me the blueberry one.”

“God bless you,” he mumbled and took his plate to his seat.

When is the last time you had to let someone else choose your food for you? I bet it has been a long time since your Mom chose your strained “veggies of the day.” Most of us can go to our refrigerator and choose when or what we will eat: fish or chicken, milk or soda, blueberry or chocolate. It seems so simple, but for this guest on this day, it wasn’t.

No, don’t feel bad because you aren’t hungry or homeless. Rather, take some time to thank God that you have a roof over your head, food in your refrigerator and a family that knows where you are.

And if you are feeling thankful, come join a group on their next (soup kitchen) visit. Help someone who doesn’t have a choice over what muffins he gets. I can’t make you go.

After all, beggars can’t be choosers.
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Sean Buvala is a full-time professional storyteller working with both secular and faith-based groups since 1986. Learn more about him at www.seantells.net . This article first appeared at the www.creativeministry.com site. Follow Sean at Twitter @storyteller .