Yesterday was one such day. I picked the big kids up from school and headed to the grocery store with all three in tow. As I head through the line and see the total I cringe a little. It's hard this time of year to budget in Christmas along food and everything else. Oh well. We'll make it. I get $10 cash back to contribute to the teacher gift for Mackenzie's class and we head to the car. I get the kids into the car and start to unload groceries.
Before I even started though a man rolls up in a wheel chair and asks for some money to spare. I say sorry I didn't have any (lie) and says God Bless. He then asks if I would pray for him and tells me his name. Clarence. I feel guilty now for that little lie. I offer to buy him something at Taco bell or even run back into the store to buy him some fruits or whatever. He declines. People have been feeding him Taco bell all day. Gross. I can't imagine eating only fast food for most all my meals. He tells me he is trying to collect enough money to get a room at the motel down the street for he and his wife. He tells me how he often has to sleep in the chair and so this would be a nice change for a night. I ask if he has been able to get help from some of the local church programs for homeless. I learn that there aren't handicap accessible vehicles for transport or house someone in a chair. Wow. I never thought about that. I guess I always assumed that a homeless disabled person could get help just like any others.
Pause. ok, I am completely humbled. This man is sitting in front of me with more Joy than I have seen in many more privileged people including myself and his situation is not great. I go to my purse sitting in the front seat and grab the $10 bill in my wallet. Tears now streaming down my face. He thanks me and asks where I attend church. I tell him about the church we started attending recently and it turns out he knows a few of the elders and attends a church that meets at the same location later in the afternoon after our church service. Then he shares his testimony with me. It sounds a lot like the story of the prodigal son... really all of us for that matter. We all live sinful and selfish lives. In an effort to reconcile us back to him, God sometimes sends us through a process of stripping away all that entangles us and keeps our focus from him. Sometimes we can't see clearly until it is all gone. I guess that is what happened to Clarence. The world would say that is cruel or sad, but it was Joy and Blessing for Clarence! In his Weakness, HE is STRONG! God Wins and his love wins! All is stripped away and GRACE remains. This man was so humble and full of Joy despite everything and I immediately felt thankful that God had ordained this pitstop in my daily activities. I gave Clarence a hug, and promised to pray for him. I hope you will too! I truly believe he is a missionary on wheels, and if he shares his story of grace and the love of God, lives will be changed!
