Do not be deceived: God is not
mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. – Galatians 6:7
Good morning said a woman as she
walked up to the man sitting on the ground.
The man slowly looked up.
This was a woman clearly accustomed
to the finer things of life. Her coat was new. She looked like she had never
missed a meal in her life.
His first thought was that she
wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before. “Leave me
alone,” he growled…
To his amazement, the woman
continued standing.
She was smiling – her even white
teeth displayed in dazzling rows. “Are you hungry?” she asked.
“No,” he answered sarcastically.
“I’ve just come from dining with the president. Now go away.”
The woman’s smile became even
broader. Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm.
“What are you doing, lady?” the man
asked angrily. “I said to leave me alone.
Just then a policeman came up. “Is
there any problem, ma’am?” he asked..
“No problem here, officer,” the
woman answered. “I’m just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help
me?”
The officer scratched his head.
“That’s old Jack. He’s been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What
do you want with him?”
“See that cafeteria over there?”
she asked. “I’m going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold
for awhile.”
“Are you crazy, lady?” the homeless
man resisted. “I don’t want to go in there!” Then he felt strong hands grab his
other arm and lift him up. “Let me go, officer. I didn’t do anything.”
“This is a good deal for you,
Jack.” the officer answered. “Don’t blow it.”
Finally, and with some difficulty,
the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a
table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so most of the
breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived…
The manager strode across the
cafeteria and stood by his table. “What’s going on here, officer?” he asked.
“What is all this, is this man in trouble?”
“This lady brought this man in here
to be fed,” the policeman answered.
“Not in here!” the manager replied
angrily. “Having a person like that here is bad for business.”
Old Jack smiled a toothless grin.
“See, lady. I told you so. Now if you’ll let me go. I didn’t want to come here
in the first place.”
The woman turned to the cafeteria
manager and smiled… “Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the
banking firm down the street?”
“Of course I am,” the manager
answered impatiently. “They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet
rooms.”
“And do you make a godly amount of
money providing food at these weekly meetings?”
“What business is that of yours?”
I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president
and CEO of the company.”
“Oh…”
The woman smiled again. “I thought
that might make a difference.” She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a
giggle. “Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?”
“No thanks, ma’am,” the officer
replied. “I’m on duty.”
“Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to
go?”
“Yes, ma’am. That would be very
nice.”
The cafeteria manager turned on his
heel, “I’ll get your coffee for you right away, officer.”
The officer watched him walk away.
“You certainly put him in his place,” he said.
“That was not my intent. Believe it
or not, I have a reason for all this.”
She sat down at the table across
from her amazed dinner guest. She stared at him intently. “Jack, do you
remember me?”
Old Jack searched her face with his
old, rheumy eyes. “I think so — I mean you do look familiar.”
“I’m a little older perhaps,” she
said. “Maybe I’ve even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked
here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry.”
“Ma’am?” the officer said
questioningly. He couldn’t believe that such a magnificently turned out woman
could ever have been hungry.
“I was just out of college,” the
woman began. “I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn’t find
anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my
apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and
nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get
something to eat.”
Jack lit up with a smile. “Now I
remember,” he said. “I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me
if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company
policy.”
“I know,” the woman continued.
“Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me
a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was
afraid that you would get into trouble. Then, when I looked over and saw you
put the price of my food in the cash register, I knew then that everything
would be all right.”
“So you started your own business?”
Old Jack said.
“I got a job that very afternoon. I
worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business that, with the help of
God, prospered.” She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. “When you
are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons. He’s the personnel
director of my company. I’ll go talk to him now and I’m certain he’ll find
something for you to do around the office.” She smiled. “I think he might even
find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes
and get a place to live until you get on your feet. If you ever need anything,
my door is always opened to you.”
There were tears in the old man’s
eyes. “How can I ever thank you?” he said.
“Don’t thank me,” the woman
answered. “To God goes the glory. Thank Jesus… He led me to you.”
Outside the cafeteria, the officer
and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways.
“Thank you for all your help,
officer,” she said.
“On the contrary, Ms. Eddy,” he
answered. “Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something that I will never
forget. And… And thank you for the coffee.”
God is going to shift things around
for you today and let things work in your favor.
God closes doors no man can open
& God opens doors no man can close.
