Yesterday evening I was getting ready to go for a run when I received a text message from a close friend who lives in San Francisco. She informed me that she had just landed in Phoenix for a brief visit with family members, one of who was about to celebrate a 90th birthday. She asked if I was free for dinner. I scrapped the run and drove 30 minutes to pick her up.

We ate at a fun restaurant called Pita Jungle. She was quite familiar with it, but it was my first time. One of the items I ordered, in addition to a salad, was a cup of Chicken Enchilada soup, which was delicious. I allowed her to have the first taste of my soup and she admitted it was pretty darn good, so good that she was tempted to order a cup for herself. But she did not do so; she already had ordered enough food for the evening.

Towards the end of the visit I ordered a bowl of the soup to go. I figured I would enjoy it the next day.

Soon thereafter, we left the restaurant and I drove her to her sister’s home where she was staying. Once we parked in front of her sister’s home, we stayed in the car for almost another hour discussing all sorts of things. We have a history of having some very engaging conversations, and this was no exception.

Just before she got out of my car to go inside and call it a night, I had an impression, and I acted on that impression. I told her I wanted to give her a gift. What gift, she asked? The Chicken Enchilada soup. She was touched and delighted. She wondered aloud if we should somehow divide up the soup, as it was a reasonably large container. I told her that would not be necessary, and that I wanted to give her all of it. That gesture made a huge impact on her.

I do not share this story with any sense of self-aggrandizement. I only share it as a recommendation to my readers. When you have an opportunity to bless the life of another human being, whether friend or acquaintance or stranger, do so. Especially when it involves sacrificing something you yourself may have counted on enjoying. Like soup. It will do a world of good for all involved – including you.

Trust me on that.