Did you hear the one about the bag man and the homeless guy?

For this month's blog post, I want to share a story, and an idea, with you.

A few days ago I was sitting with a group of friends when one of them said, "How do people with full-time jobs ever get anything done?"

We all laughed. However our laughter was inspired by the truth that we recognized. Most of us are fortunate enough to have full-time work that helps us to pay our bills, support our families and maybe even treat ourselves to a luxury or two. However, time is rarely a luxury for those who are employed full time or who manage their own businesses.

I imagine I am not alone in the constant gnawing that I experience. It is a gnawing to do good in a world which has so many needs.

I spend most of every day assisting people with the packaging that they need in order to run their day-to-day business. It is a job that needs doing but I'm left to wonder how it touches the world's greatest needs.

Very recently I had an experience that excites me and if you don't mind I'd like to share it with you.

I've had the honor over the last number of months to befriend a man who is homeless. He is not only my friend, he also sleeps in my empty apartment a number of days a week.

I've believed for some time that his presence in my life is a doing that I can attribute to God. I've believed that there is more to this arrangement that just giving a guy a place to sleep a few days each week. Last night, I think I gained some insight into the greater purpose behind our friendship.

As he and I were talking I heard him say "I'd really like to help somebody."

He, it seems, also experiences this gnawing. Being busy is what makes it difficult for me to silence this gnawing. On the other hand my friend is rich when it comes to time. He has much of it to give.

All of a sudden it occurred to me that my homeless friend has a bit of extra time and I have a bit of extra money. I need more time. He needs more money. What if I compensated him for spending time doing some good in the world? It wouldn't be much. It couldn't be much. However, he would spend his wealth of time doing the good that he could do in the world and I could spend some of my excess income to put somebody to work for the good of the world.. To me it seemed a perfect match. To me it seemed like an opportunity to make selling bags and boxes something more than selling bags and boxes.

Why am I writing about this rather than highlighting some packaging promotion or discount? I guess I just have to believe that I'm not alone in my desire to do my small part in making our world a better place.

What if small business owners and full-time workers used a small amount of their excess income to compensate homeless people to use their excess time to do good in the world? Am I completely nuts for thinking that our world would truly become a better place?

Yeah...I'm nuts! But I'm gonna try to make my small difference anyway.

Please know that I appreciate the difference that you make in my life.