A Virtuous Woman

While filling my car with gas this morning, I noticed an elderly woman digging in the garbage bins at the gas station picking out bottles and putting them into her bag. She was clean and bright eyed and did not look like she suffered any illness. I remembered I had two bags in my trunk that hadn't made it to the Scouts' bottle drive nor the recycling depot so I offered them to her. Her face beamed at her windfall. She asked me if I wanted my bags back. She then said to me staring right into my eyes: "I hope something really good comes your way today."

It has. I have thought of her example of thrift, industry and humility. While I don't want to arrive at her age needing to pick out bottles from the garbage.I do admire her. I wish I had engaged more in conversation with her. Was this her hobby or was this to put bread on her table? Did she have a regular beat? Did she need a ride? I watched as she continued looking in all the garbage bins in the strip mall and then she just disappeared. I have no idea how she carried all those bottles nor where she went.

This scripture keeps playing in my head as I think of her.