More Than Requested
by Jeffrey Pierce

Bri and I found ourselves with a rare day without children, so decided to go on our version of a date. Instead of heading for one of the local hiking trails, we walked around the city of Portland which is approximately 45 minutes north of us. During our wanderings, we came across a street performer with really gentle energy dancing with a hoola-hoop and playing a Native American flute. She had a coffee can set out for change and I thought to myself, "I really wished that I carried cash with me. I'd leave a dollar for her."

a very happy street performer

We crossed the street and found ourselves standing alone at the corner with no other pedestrians around. I happened to look down and there was a five dollar bill laying on the sidewalk.

Bending over, I picked up the money and quickly glanced around. There were no other people nearby who the the five dollar bill might have belonged to. Considering what I had just wished for, it was very obvious to me where the money was supposed to go.

Bri and I quickly crossed the street and I placed the money in the woman's coffee can. She thanked us with a big smile. I asked if we could take her picture and she paused in her dancing long enough to pose for us.

Then Bri and I went on our way.

As we walked, Bri and I began talking about the experience. It was clear to us why the money had suddenly appeared, but I wondered aloud how many people would have thought, "Wow! Five dollars!" and simply put it in their pocket and continued on their journey.

We ask for things on our path all the time; opportunities; doors to open; someone to help us in our time of need. I wonder how many of us fail to recognize when we're given those things, simply because it comes in a slightly different form than what we asked for.

For instance, my wish was for a dollar - not five dollars. Had I found myself with both bills in my wallet, I would have give the performer the one dollar bill, not the five, and not given the situation another thought. Yet with nothing in my hands to work with I placed a request to the Universe. When the Universe responded, scant minutes later, it wasn't what I asked for, but it was a resource that I could apply it to the situation for which I'd asked assistance - and it certainly met the need that I had presented.

When we ask for assistance, I've found that the Universe is always ready to present us with the best solution to the situation, not necessarily the answer we expected. Only when we slow down, are present in the moment, and "listen" to the weave around us are we able to see what we've been given and how to work with it.

It'simportant that we realize that we aren't acting alone, but that we are but a single strand in a larger web. For instance, perhaps my role was nothing more than to realize that the street performer had a need. That recognition manifested in me wanting to give her a dollar. It's very possible that she needed more than that single dollar bill. After all, when I went to give her the offering, her coffee can was completely empty.

But those are just the strands we see in the moment we're in. The two of us, the street performer and I, played our roles in that moment. With Old Ways, I'm able to come and share the story with you. Perhaps it's just a neat story. Perhaps it fills a missing piece in your own path. The thing is, when we ask for assistance and allow ourselves to work with what we're given, we aren't simply addressing the challenge before us but are playing our role in a much larger chain of events. We often say that "We are One." In moments like these, it's easy to see exactly what that means.

Thoughts? Comments? You can contact us at connect@oldways.com or interact with Jeffrey, Briana, and the Old Ways community on our Facebook page.

Originally published in Old Ways on October 16, 2010