An early taste
of the season
Last week when the weather was so cold, I looked out my office window only to see a homeless man sitting on a bench. He sat there most of the day, and all I could think of was how cold he must have been.
The next day, the man was there again. I couldn’t stand it any longer, so when I went to get the mail, I kept thinking, Lord, what do you want me to do for this man? We get our mail at the downtown post office, and when I went to park on Innes Street, there were no parking places. I drove around the block and pulled in a spot on Main Street in front of a coffee shop named Tastebuds. I didn’t even know the shop existed.
I went in and asked the man if he took debit cards, but he told me, “no, cash only.” I was disappointed because I didn’t have any cash on me. I decided to ask about the price of hot chocolate, figuring I could come back tomorrow.
“It’s not for me; it’s for a homeless man,” I said. “I know he is so cold, and I just can’t stand it.”
I started to walk out the door, and the man said without hesitation, “Here, give him this,” and he handed me a large cup of hot steaming coffee, free of charge.
I took the coffee to the homeless man, but it wasn’t just him who received the blessing; I too was blessed. What a wonderful way to start the holiday season.
ó Leigh Ann Fink
Faith