On a frigid and blustery December
day, a man was seen walking down the street of a small town. To those snuggled inside their warm homes,
his motives were unknown. The man was wearing
a gray pair of cotton pants, a thin long-sleeved shirt, and nothing on his
head, hands, or feet. He was walking the
desolate streets at a quick pace, and kept his head bowed down slightly against
the wind. His posture did not convey him
as a poor or undignified being, but rather gave him the appearance of somebody
on a crucial and urgent mission. The
harder the wind blew, the faster the man walked.
Those
inside their homes gave him no more than a moment’s notice and thought. However, there was one little girl, who
instead of thinking he must be some foolish youngin to be walking around
dressed that way, felt a growing seed of curiosity and compassion for that man;
even as he walked quickly out of her view.
Onward he walked with beautiful Christmas music playing in his head.
The
volunteers working at the soup kitchen that day had had a long day and were
yearning to be home with their families.
Little did they know, they were about to be humbled. There were about 20 people inside the
building – 12 volunteers and 8 souls covered in dirt and grime but filled with
love and warmth – when the door opened and a young man wearing very few
clothing articles for the outdoor conditions stepped quietly inside. All eyes had turned to him and the volunteers
began to feel pity and shame. The young
man quietly asked a volunteer if he could please have a meal to go, as he had
to get back as soon as possible.
Surprised, they asked no questions and prepared a meal for him in
containers. One older volunteer, who had
a great deal of wisdom, quietly asked him if she could prepare him a second
meal – one for himself. Modestly, he
said that that would be wonderful and greatly appreciated. The volunteer worked swiftly to serve extra
helpings of the hot meal into containers and placed them in the bag. With the food in hand, he thanked them very
much and asked politely for some clothing.
They led him into the attached clothing donation center and led him to
his size. Without making a sound, he
walked over to the children’s section and selected a warm jumpsuit, jacket,
hat, boots, and gloves. He laid 5
wrinkled dollars on the counter, thanked them, and walked out.
As the
young man walked quickly back the way he’d come in the darkening night, lights
glowed softly from the homes along the street.
Nobody paid him notice, save for a beautiful little girl with bouncy
brown curls, green eyes, and a smile on her lips. She had been waiting at the window, and the
moment she spotted him, she threw on her boots and jacket and ran outside to
meet the man. Very surprised, the man stopped
when the little girl held up an armload to him.
Two proud parents beamed from the doorway as the little girl handed him
a pair of snow pants, boots, gloves, and a hat, just his size. He bent down to receive the clothes and gave
the little girl a tight squeeze and a peck on the top of her head. No words were exchanged, but the level and
understanding in their eyes spoke volumes.
She glanced back and waved as she disappeared into her home.
Two
blocks away, a small boy sat huddled in the shelter of a hand-made snow igloo,
waiting for a meal to fill his belly and clothes to keep him warm. With a new sense of a hope and a brighter
path lit by the One above, the man began to jog home. Though only two people were physically there
to see the young man and young boy unite joyfully, Heaven saw a bright ray of
hope and planted it deep within the hearts of those men.
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