What do you have?

"What do you have?"

"Why, I have an umbrella, some drinks, snacks...wait, why are you asking me what I have, I don't know you!"  He walks always from the first man.

Walking up to another stranger, the man asks again, "What do you have?" 

A woman was the intended recipient of the question, she looked at the man, held her possession tighter and swiftly walked away.

The man continued to visit strangers and ask the same question of each person.  Many walked away clutching their possessions tighter and if facial expressions could call the police, the man would have been arrested ten times over.  Some did answer his question; yet all responded with an inventory of their material possessions.  Some did ask the man if he needed anything to which he replied, "What would you like to give me?" Some of the responses were, "Food, coffee, sweatshirt..." Again, all material possessions.  After a long day, the man decided to call it quits, that was until he saw a woman with three young children, wild as ever, coming from the store.  She was pushing a full cart of groceries as the children swung about the cart.  The man approached the woman and asked her, "What do you have?"

The woman looked up from the kids in the cart, looked into the man's eyes and replied, "I have a wonderful, loving family.  As you can see, they are lively and that is why I love them so much.  When I look at them, I can see God looking back at me, hugging me when I need a hug and making me laugh when I am low.  I have it all, sir, for I have been blessed with faith, blessed with love and nothing in this world can top that."  As she finished her statement, she smiled and the man smiled back.  There was a moment of silence and then the woman asked a question of the man.  "Sir, I saw you as I was going into the store.  I saw you speak with a man and walk away with your head down and your body language sad.  Have you been out here all day? Asking people what they have?"

"Yes, mam, I have.  I have asked about 40 people what they have."

"And?"

"Well, let's just say their response did not elicit the smile as your response, my dear."

She could tell by the man's demeanor that it has been a long trying day and that he somehow was losing confidence in people and their response.  He looked sad when he first questioned the woman, but now, his eyes were filled with love, his body filled with hope.  So the woman dared continue the conversation, "Well, sir, I have a question for you, then...what do you have?"  

The man chuckled as he looked to the ground, then he looked right into the woman's eyes and said, "I, too, have it all for I have been blessed with God's love.  Sharing this love makes me so joyful, it reminds me that I do have it all.  Thank you for sharing with me today."  With that the man departed and both went home to their separate houses.  Upon entering her home, the woman gave each child an extra special hug and kiss and reminded them how much they were loved, not only by her and their dad but by God.  The kids ran into the simple home, then remembered the groceries in the car and went back outside to help their mom.  That night, was especially filled with love as the family played a game and watched a movie and talked about how they each see God throughout their day.  The man also returned to his home, a small ranch style house, most passed by and called a shack.  He made himself some tea and sat down to reflect on his day.  Tears began to run down his cheeks as he recalled the answers given to him by strangers as to what they had.  "Life", he thought, "life has become so self-centered, so materialistic, so much so that this is all people know.  They know not, the depths of their heart, they know not God's impact in their lives.  They write things off as fate or karma and yet they never look the majesty of God.  Richness comes not from material goods, richness come from faith, from love, from sharing God with others.  To become the richest person in the world all we need do is love as God loves, live as Christ lived, and be the person of faith resting within our soul."  The man smiled as he recalled the last woman he spoke with, the kids jumping about,  laughing, screaming really.  But her response gave him hope and he smiled.  Neither the man nor the last woman were wealth as society defines wealth; but both understood the truth of riches and both families were the rich beyond belief, both families know they did, indeed, have it all for they had love, they had faith, they had God and shared God with one another.  

How will you respond the next time you are asked what you have?