On some level, I hesitate to write this blog for fear that the emphasis will be misplaced. This is not a blog about me. This is a blog about the mysterious way it seems (to me) that God moves in this world. It is such a trivial thing about which I blog, but I am convinced that it was not coincidence. I certainly have no idea whatsoever what the point is or what it means. Riveting, huh?
After spending part of the morning with MP and Simeon at Hobby Lobby not getting the 50% off the items I purchased, I returned home facing dirty dishes, dirty clothes, floors that need to be vacuumed, a dining room table that needs clearing and cleaning, and possibly, just possibly, some dinner that needs to be at least considered. So, I did what seemed reasonable to me, I left home to go look for a birthday present for MP. She will be 33 tomorrow. What? How did that happen???
My intention was to get to the store where I wanted to shop before the really awful Green Hills lunch traffic commenced. I had a small window of opportunity to accomplish that, but it looked as though I was going to be successful. As I waited to turn left, on the right side of the street stood a young man with a small cardboard sign. I could not read it from my car, but I was fairly certain it did not say something as simple has "have a nice day."
Thus, began the all-to-familiar dialogue with the Holy Spirit. It went something like this:
H.S. - You are going to have to get closer to read the sign...if you must, for I am fairly certain you have an idea what the sign says.
Me - Do you remember last week when I sat in really awful Green Hills lunch traffic....forever?
H.S. - You call that forever? Ha! Go read the sign.
Me - I'm in the wrong lane.
H.S - Do you see any traffic coming in the other lane? Who do you think arranged that? Go read the sign.
Me - OKAY!! (The sign said - "Homeless. Anything will help.")
I pulled over into the astonishingly empty right lane, rolled my window down and asked if the young man needed lunch. He said he would definitely be glad to have some lunch. I told him to wait, and I would be back as quickly as possible to bring him some food.
I hurried to Kroger and bought a hot lunch - pot roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, caramel cake, an apple, and 2 cartons of milk, one plain one chocolate. I wasted no time in getting back to the corner where I left the young man. What?
Me - He's gone. The boy is gone. Really, he could not wait 15 minutes for lunch. I don't want this lunch. Seriously, what was this little exercise about?
H.S. - Look around. Pay attention.
I look around and then I see the Contributor Seller who sells on the corner opposite the one where the boy was standing. He is in a wheel chair. He is missing one leg from the knee down.
H.S. - Think he might like lunch?
Me - I don't want to insult him. People think they don't have jobs, but standing/sitting on the sidewalk all day selling papers is a job...and a hard one. I don't want to insult him.
H.S. - How will you know if you don't ask?
Me - OKAY!
So, I walk over to the Contributor Seller and asked if he would allow me to give him lunch. He looked startled and asked me to repeat my question. I asked again if he would allow me to give him lunch. He was thrilled. Thanked me profusely. Wished God's blessings on me.
I did not explain that in some strange way, God had just sent me on a blessed wild goose chase. I have no idea where the young man went. Certainly, he could have believed that I would not come back. He does not know me. I suspect he has been disappointed by people on numerous occasions. My prayer is that someone bolder and braver than I came by, picked him up, took him to lunch, and then found him shelter with one of the organizations set up to aid those in his situation. I hope that is what happened. Most likely, I will never know.
I left, went to the store that was my original destination, got a gift, ate salted caramel yogurt with Heath Crunch for lunch, came home and did a bit of laundry and a few dishes. I have much left to do this day. It might get done. It might not.
Now, I know there are those who will read this blog and think it a bunch of hogwash. They will be gracious enough to not say it, however. I get that lots of people think that it is absurd for me to believe that God's Holy Spirit has time to converse with the likes of me, or for me to even believe in that spirit at all. I know it makes me sound like a ding-a-ling to some. I get that. I sort of sound like a nut job to myself, but I still believe it. I do. And, I might be so naïve, or childish, or imbecilic as to believe that really good parking space I got in the midst of really awful Green Hills lunch traffic was not a coincidence either.
Today, I wish you love and
blessings
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