December 6

Every now and then, when I'm receptive, I can feel God trying to get my attention. And that's just what happened this chilly evening. (The image doesn't have a lot to do with what's to come, though it is a representation of finding comfort where we can and Brady asked me to take it, so it's good enough. And it's also the only one I took today.)

Adam is out of town, so before I took Abby to her 7 PM dance class, she and I and the Little Boys swung through the McDonald's drive thru. As I rounded the corner to enter the parking lot, I saw a homeless man pushing a shopping cart along the side of the road. Even after I'd parked the car and started to eat, I was peripherally aware of him as he walked slowly through the lot and toward nearby storefronts. I felt pressed to approach him, but I tried to ignore it; after all --and this is me being painfully honest here-- homeless people tend to make me really uncomfortable. And I had the kids with me, and it was dark... my mind built an impressive 'why to ignore God' checklist, and for a while, I did just that.

As I went to leave, I took the long way around the lot and saw him digging through a trash can at the gas station next door. That sight did it, and on an impulse, I made a u-turn, drove up next to him, rolled down my window, and asked if he'd like me to buy him some food. He looked surprised and accepted the offer, so I parked, told Abby to watch the boys for a minute, and we walked into the convenience store together. He considered the display of sandwiches for a minute before finally choosing a modestly sized one; just plain old turkey and cheese. I paid, and then handed him the sandwich and part of my change as we headed back outside. He looked surprised and replied with three words that went straight to my heart: I love ya!.

I'd never seen that man before and I'll probably never see him again, but that's what Jesus is all about, right? Loving everyone, even --no, especially-- the ones society considers to be undesirable or so deeply flawed that they're unworthy of love. But this guy, even in his unenviable position, hit the nail on the head with his response.

The whole interaction came to pass not because I'm some awesome person (and please, please don't think that's my aim here because it absotively, posolutely is not the case), but because God spoke to me and --after waffling-- I got over myself and listened. So next time God speaks to you, be sure to listen, because you never know how He'll surprise you with whatever He has up His sleeve.