Two weeks ago, after church, we were going to be at our daughter's home for dinner. I went home, dropped off Adam and fed everyone lunch, and left for the store to get dessert. I said I would be right back. An hour later, I finally made it. I had a few unexpected appointments to keep.
As I turned the corner and passed the local McDonald's, I saw a man take the cover off the garbage can and start digging through it. I can't even explain how I felt. I turned the next corner and pulled into the parking lot, intending to give him a couple of dollars. Before I could call him over to my car(he was starting to move away, the Lord said, "Give him ten." So I dug through the bills in my wallet and found a ten dollar bill as I was calling to him to come over. My heart was hurting as I watched him come closer.
His clothes were rags and his hair was long and severely matted. I knew he was homeless, and I wondered how long he was living on the streets. I had never seem him before. As he came up to the car, I handed him the money, and he smiled a giant smile at me. He had a slice of lime between his teeth (which I knew he had found as he rummaged through the can because I saw him put it into his mouth), but that didn't hide the happiness at all. He didn't really speak, just nodded and made some happy sounds. He took the money and turned away quickly, looking to the people in the drive up line who might have something for him. I saw a woman hand him some change. He was moving quickly and I prayed he'd find a place to live, and that I would see him again. I drove on to the store.
As I got out of my car, I saw a woman talking to someone in one of the handicapped parking spaces. She walked away, and the woman in the car was looking down at the ground and seemed very confused. I went over to ask if she needed some help. She was parked in the striped space, which indicated the unloading zone for wheelchair vans. She told me that the other woman had told her she couldn't park there, and this poor lady couldn't understand why. After several explanations on my part about the faded lines, she finally told me that the woman had said she couldn't park there at all because it was for vans only. That isn't true, and I told her so. I have handicapped parking privileges for my grandson, and I know it is just a courtesy to leave it for vans. She needed parking and the other lanes were all full. People are so unhelpful sometimes. However, she did need to move into the designated space in order to avoid a ticked, because the lined spaces at not for parking. As I helped her to reposition her can, a truck came rushing up to get into the space. I stopped him and told him this lady was parking there, and he didn't have a permit anyway. So he backed up and into a space in the lanes across from us.
I stood at the car chatting with the woman, and she and I had church. She shared with me, I shared with her, and we praised God. She insisted on giving me a gift. She had two beaded necklaces in the car and insisted that I must have one of them. I tried to decline, but she wouldn't hear of it, so I chose one and thanked her. As we were finishing out conversation, a man came up to the truck parked next to her(the one who had tried to take her spot had moved next to her at this point) and was cursing and slammed the driver's side mirror on the truck. I asked "What did you do that for?" and he was screaming that the driver had backed into his SUV. Joan and I both told him that we were there the whole time, and didn't see that at all. He insisted and drove angrily away, and we prayed for him and his wife, who looked very uneasy. Joan (for she had told me her name by this time) took down his license plate number, and then we walked into the store together. She felt it was important to give the plate number to the driver of the truck, but we didn't see him. I hugged her and left her to do my own shopping and get home, as I was already late.
When I came out of the store, the driver of the truck and his son were getting ready to leave, so I told them what had happened. I could tell he was intoxicated. A woman came over and accused him of hitting her car, said there were witnesses and was quite upset. He became rather aggressive with her, and tried to drive away. She, another woman and I all kept talking to him and trying to keep him from leaving. Other cars were trying to get through, so this guy couldn't leave. He really had hit her car, and he knew it. Her car had white paint all over the damage, and his truck had blue paint on it from her car. We all stuck it out until he reluctantly gave her his insurance info, and then left. The woman thanked all who stayed around to help her, and then we all left.
This was a most unusual afternoon. I often smile at and speak with people I've never met, but this is truly the first time it was such an intense experience.
The next week, I ran into Joan again, at a different grocery store. I went up to her car and introduced myself to her again. She remembered me but had forgotten where we met. We chatted for a few minutes and exchanged phone numbers. We're both wondering what God has in mind for us; we think He orchestrated our meeting and are looking to see why He did.
I'm praying for the man at McDonald's. I haven't seen him again, and I'm hoping he finds someplace safe to stay, and gets enough food to eat. I feel like I should have maybe parked my car and spent some time with him instead of just giving him money for food. Maybe we'll meet again one day.
All this is in response to a prayer of my heart that I'll make a difference when I see something happening that isn't right. God answered in a very unexpected way on a very regular day.
As I turned the corner and passed the local McDonald's, I saw a man take the cover off the garbage can and start digging through it. I can't even explain how I felt. I turned the next corner and pulled into the parking lot, intending to give him a couple of dollars. Before I could call him over to my car(he was starting to move away, the Lord said, "Give him ten." So I dug through the bills in my wallet and found a ten dollar bill as I was calling to him to come over. My heart was hurting as I watched him come closer.
His clothes were rags and his hair was long and severely matted. I knew he was homeless, and I wondered how long he was living on the streets. I had never seem him before. As he came up to the car, I handed him the money, and he smiled a giant smile at me. He had a slice of lime between his teeth (which I knew he had found as he rummaged through the can because I saw him put it into his mouth), but that didn't hide the happiness at all. He didn't really speak, just nodded and made some happy sounds. He took the money and turned away quickly, looking to the people in the drive up line who might have something for him. I saw a woman hand him some change. He was moving quickly and I prayed he'd find a place to live, and that I would see him again. I drove on to the store.
As I got out of my car, I saw a woman talking to someone in one of the handicapped parking spaces. She walked away, and the woman in the car was looking down at the ground and seemed very confused. I went over to ask if she needed some help. She was parked in the striped space, which indicated the unloading zone for wheelchair vans. She told me that the other woman had told her she couldn't park there, and this poor lady couldn't understand why. After several explanations on my part about the faded lines, she finally told me that the woman had said she couldn't park there at all because it was for vans only. That isn't true, and I told her so. I have handicapped parking privileges for my grandson, and I know it is just a courtesy to leave it for vans. She needed parking and the other lanes were all full. People are so unhelpful sometimes. However, she did need to move into the designated space in order to avoid a ticked, because the lined spaces at not for parking. As I helped her to reposition her can, a truck came rushing up to get into the space. I stopped him and told him this lady was parking there, and he didn't have a permit anyway. So he backed up and into a space in the lanes across from us.
I stood at the car chatting with the woman, and she and I had church. She shared with me, I shared with her, and we praised God. She insisted on giving me a gift. She had two beaded necklaces in the car and insisted that I must have one of them. I tried to decline, but she wouldn't hear of it, so I chose one and thanked her. As we were finishing out conversation, a man came up to the truck parked next to her(the one who had tried to take her spot had moved next to her at this point) and was cursing and slammed the driver's side mirror on the truck. I asked "What did you do that for?" and he was screaming that the driver had backed into his SUV. Joan and I both told him that we were there the whole time, and didn't see that at all. He insisted and drove angrily away, and we prayed for him and his wife, who looked very uneasy. Joan (for she had told me her name by this time) took down his license plate number, and then we walked into the store together. She felt it was important to give the plate number to the driver of the truck, but we didn't see him. I hugged her and left her to do my own shopping and get home, as I was already late.
When I came out of the store, the driver of the truck and his son were getting ready to leave, so I told them what had happened. I could tell he was intoxicated. A woman came over and accused him of hitting her car, said there were witnesses and was quite upset. He became rather aggressive with her, and tried to drive away. She, another woman and I all kept talking to him and trying to keep him from leaving. Other cars were trying to get through, so this guy couldn't leave. He really had hit her car, and he knew it. Her car had white paint all over the damage, and his truck had blue paint on it from her car. We all stuck it out until he reluctantly gave her his insurance info, and then left. The woman thanked all who stayed around to help her, and then we all left.
This was a most unusual afternoon. I often smile at and speak with people I've never met, but this is truly the first time it was such an intense experience.
The next week, I ran into Joan again, at a different grocery store. I went up to her car and introduced myself to her again. She remembered me but had forgotten where we met. We chatted for a few minutes and exchanged phone numbers. We're both wondering what God has in mind for us; we think He orchestrated our meeting and are looking to see why He did.
I'm praying for the man at McDonald's. I haven't seen him again, and I'm hoping he finds someplace safe to stay, and gets enough food to eat. I feel like I should have maybe parked my car and spent some time with him instead of just giving him money for food. Maybe we'll meet again one day.
All this is in response to a prayer of my heart that I'll make a difference when I see something happening that isn't right. God answered in a very unexpected way on a very regular day.
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