31 Give to those in need. Even if it is all you have.

I am reminded of a story. 
It is one of the earliest memories of my father. I can remember it clearly. He has heard my story and hardly remembers the event, it was just something that happened in passing that had no bearing on him, but it defines my actions regularly.

We were traveling to Green River, WY to visit my grandparents living there. Along the way, we stopped at a rest area to discover that a family had run out of Gas and also out of money.
My memory tells me that they had broken down while on vacation in SLC and had had to repair their car to head back to home, Omaha if my memory is correct. 
My parents filled their tank and I remember a discussion about some food. I even remember the gas station where they got the gas at, Fort Bridger, WY. It is no longer there, I went to try to get pictures of it 10 or so years ago.

Here is the remarkable thing...
After my parents did this and got this family out on the road I remember the discussion about how their finances were tight and how they would have to adjust to make the maybe $40-$50 fit into a tight budget... because they DID NOT actually have the money to help.
They thought we (kids) were asleep. 
My parents taught me a lot in that moment. It has stuck with me in painful detail. I can replay the audio/video in my head each word said, each scene, some spoken in German, most in English. I couldn't have been older than 8...

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