Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Why Not?

It was a warm breezy day. The kind of day you wished you lived on a beach so everytime the wind blew waves came over your feet. It was the perfect day for sandwiches made by professionals. The girl had volunteered to drive twenty minutes to a sandwich shop and get dinner for her parents (with their money of course).

While ordering and making sure every ingredient was on the right sandwiches an older gentleman came up behind and asked the sandwich shop worker, "What can I get for $3.00?" The man was wearing clothes from head to toe. Almost every inch of his body was covered which seemed odd because it was a lovely day. The worker looked around as if she did not know the cost of items in the shop. She then asked the manager who was sweeping the store. He came behind the counter and the older gentleman seemed to be getting nervous and said, "I only have $3.00. What can I get?" The girl looked at the older gentleman and said, "Anything over $3.00 I'll cover." The gentleman acted as if he didn't hear her. The girl turned to the manager and said, "Anything over $3.00 I'll cover for him." The manager repeated it to the gentleman. The gentleman did not make eye contact with anyone. The gentleman ordered a tuna sandwich and while the girl's three sandwiches were being tallied she told the worker she would go ahead and pay for the gentleman's entire meal. In a gruff, short voice the gentleman said, "Thank you," and walked out of the store and down the street.

After the girl had paid she was getting drinks and the manager said, "I can't believe you paid for his food. No one ever does that. Most people don't because he'll just beg you next time he's in here." The girl replied by saying, "That's ashame. But I'm not from here so he'll probably never see me again." During the twenty minute drive to her parent's house the girl had time ponder what had just happened in the sandwich shop.

When she arrived at her parent's home she told her parents what had happened. Her mom took a guess that the gentleman was from a retirement home up the road and was probably mentally disabled. The girl was still perplexed as to why this manager made it a big deal that someone paid for his meal.

"Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!...Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies." Hebrews 13:2,3 (NLT)

No comments: