Everyone respects and helps the millionaire, the famous, the boss, those with beauty and brains. What about the bum on the street? This is a real story. It happened to me, the writer of MountainWings.com.
I was parked in front of the church cleaning out my Jeep. I was waiting on someone. Coming my way from across the street was what society would consider a bum. From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no money. There are times when you feel generous but there are other times that you just don’t want to be bothered. This was one of those “don’t want to be bothered times.”
I hope he doesn’t ask me for money, I thought. He didn’t. He came and sat on the wall in front of the bus stop to wait on the bus. After a few minutes he spoke, “That’s a very pretty Jeep,” he said. He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. His scraggly blonde beard kept more than his face warm. I said, “thanks,” and continued cleaning the Jeep.
He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never came. As the silence between us widened something inside me said, “ask him if he needs any help.” I was sure that ht would say “yes” but I held true to that inner voice.
“Do you need any help?” I asked. He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget. We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it from those of higher learning and accomplishments. I expected nothing but an outstretched hand.
He spoke the three words that shook me. “Don’t we all?” he said. I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above the bum in the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gauge shotgun. Don’t we all?
I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus fare, but enough to take a cab anywhere in the city and get food and shelter for the day.
Those three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter how much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or a place to sleep, you can give help. Even if it is just a compliment, you can give that.
You never know when you may see someone who appears to have it all. They are waiting on you to give them what they don’t have, a different perspective on life, a glimpse of something beautiful, a respite from daily chaos that only you through a torn world can see.
Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. Maybe it was more than that. Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and wise, to minister to a soul too comfortable in themselves. Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum, then said, “go minister to that man cleaning the Jeep, that man needs help.” Don’t we all? (End of quote)
In closing this HEART TALK I am compelled to take us to the Word of God. I will go first to the Book of Hebrews, Chapter 13. The writer tells us to “Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body” (Hebrews 13:1-3 KJV). I am reminded of Jesus’ teaching on this subject. He spoke of being naked “and you clothed me,” hungry “and you fed me,” in prison “and you visited me.” The disciples reaction was to follow with a question: “When did we see you naked, hungry, in prison, etc.?” His response was direct: “In that you have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, you have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40, 45 KJV).
THINK ABOUT IT!
Have you had a kindness shown?
PASS IT ON!
“Twas not given for thee alone,
PASS IT ON!
Let it travel down the years,
Let it wipe another’s tears,
‘Till in heaven the deed appears –
PASS IT ON!
(Henry Burton)
“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he
treats those who can do nothing for him.”
(James D. Miles)
Finally…
If you have made mistakes, even serious ones,
there is always another chance for you.
What we call failure is not the falling down,
but the staying down.
(Source Unknown)
HOW TO REACH US:
Dr. Jerry A. Jones
P. O. Box 6986
Burbank, California 91510
E-mail: his2u@aol.com
Phone: 818-621-9927 (Cell)