I was hurrying down the street today to the train, on my way to have my “morning with God” that I take every Thursday.  Halfway down the block I was met by a grey-haired man with a smile lighting up his face, pushing two shopping carts full of food and random household items.  He asks me if I need anything and I tell him I don’t.  He says that this is my day because he’ll give me eight packs of sandwich meat for $2.  I tell him I’m in a hurry, so I can’t take the time to take it back to my house.  To this he replies, “This is a blessing for you today.  God’s timing is perfect, so whatever you have to get to will be exactly in His time.”  I tell him, “Well, I have a second problem.  I have no cash at all except what I need for the train.”  He smiles and says, “This is a gift for you.  People have a hard time receiving, because they think some strings are going to be attached.  But God didn’t say He wants to give you abundant life, but MORE abundant life.  Come on, I’ll deliver this to your door.”  At my house he loads my arms with not only the eight packs of sandwich meat, but two loaves of bread, croissants, a bag of garlic, and jar of jalapenos.  Pleasure is all over his face.  I glance at one cart that has a few duffel bags on it and I wonder if these are his personal belongings.  Then he tells me he also has a table and chair for me.  I try to protest that I don’t need it, but he insists, setting it on my porch, along with a doormat.  He stands back and looks at it with admiration and that same big smile.  I thank him saying, “May God bless you.”  He says, “Oh He will.  He promises, ‘Give and you shall receive.’”  But I can see that he already has received just by the joy of giving to me.  I continue on my way to meet God, thinking I already met Him on the way.

Posted on February 12th, 2009 by Laurie Cook
Filed under: News, Reflections from the Streets