“I
was hungry and you gave me something to eat”
Matthew 25:42 (GW)
Matthew 25:42 (GW)
The
following “I like to give” story was passed on to me last week a
member of the CLC family. Jeff
I
Like Giving A Cup Of Coffee.
Sitting
exhausted in a San Francisco Starbucks, reflecting on his 3 week road
trip cross country, Eddie was ready to get home. He knew he had a few
more hours before he even headed to the airport for his redeye flight
back to the east coast. He had only taken a seat in Starbucks to relax
while his iPhone charged. With him, he had all of his belongings from
his trip, which surprisingly only consisted of a backpack, messenger
bag, and water bottle. His backpack had been a high school gift and had
survived the 6 years since, staying with him through college, camping
experiences, skateboarding trips, and everything in between. It still
worked, if you knew how to correctly tie the shoelaces that held
together the broken zippers and didn’t play with the duct tape that
was covering some of the holes that held sentimental memories of
skateboard falls. His sticker-covered water bottle was hooked to his
belt loop with a carabineer and the sweatshirt he was wearing was
looking forward to a good wash almost as much as its owner was looking
forward to a real shower.
He
leaned back, staring off into space, thinking about his next project at
work and excited to see his sister for dinner before he headed back
home. In his relaxed state, he hadn’t noticed the man who had wondered
over to him until he placed a five dollar bill on the table and said,
“Son, get yourself a cup of coffee. You look like you could use
one.” Startled, Eddie said thank you and stared at the $5. He would
love a cup of coffee . . . and he wasn’t planning on spending his
money on it, so why not? He walked up to the counter and ordered himself
a small black coffee. When the barista handed him the change, Eddie
looked around for the kind man. He saw him sitting in a corner with a
few bags. Ed grabbed his coffee, walked over to the man, thanked him
again, and put his change on the table.
“No
son, you keep it.” He said.
“Sir,
the coffee was plenty, thank you.” Eddie said, leaving the change on
the table and walking back to his seat. But when he sat down, he
couldn’t help but watch the man - he looked even more worn then Eddie
felt. He clothes were a bit dirty, and the bags he was carrying looked
old and worn as well. And he was not drinking coffee. He had tucked the
change from Eddie’s coffee in his pocket and was just resting.
Interested, Eddie walked over and took a seat next to him. “You live
in the area?” Ed asked.
“I
guess. I don’t really have a home, but I usually sleep somewhere
around here.”
Which
is when it hit Eddie. This man was homeless. And even more than that,
this man thought Eddie was homeless. And even in his state of survival,
this kind man saw an opportunity to positively impact someone who
appeared less fortunate.
The
moral of the story - (besides the fact that I need to get my brother
some nicer clothes) - a man recognized an opportunity to ignite
someone’s potential. That cup of coffee was not going to save my
brother’s life. That cup of coffee would not have even fed him if he
was hungry. That kind man saw Eddie, and regardless of the judgment he
may have passed, recognized a tired soul that seemed far from home. And,
putting aside any judgment, knew that he could do something little to
make his day just a bit brighter.
How
often do we take advantage of those small opportunities? Albert
Schweitzer reminds us that, “In everyone’s life, at some time, our
inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with
another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who
rekindle the inner spirit.”
How
often are we rekindling someone’s flame?
Do
you have an “I Like Giving” story to share?
Just send it to info@clcfamily.net
and we’ll share it with others!
“Lord, help me also to recognize a
“tired soul who may be far from home” and in some small but
important way show that person that someone notices, and doing so to be
a sign to them that God notices as well.
Amen”
For more:
follow on Twitter @jefflampl
I just opened your blog today and to my surprise, it is my neighbor's writing. How cool is it to see it posted in our church's blog. I actually heard the story on a walk with my neighbor and she told me the story of her son, Eddie. His sister Danielle wrote this article. They went to Avon Grove High School and are dear, dear friends of ours. I can't wait to tell them! -- Judy Morris
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