Too Busy to Turn Around?
Posted on Nov 20, 2013 by Wendy
For quite some time (a couple of years...) I have noticed a very weird scene on a road that I drive to take my kids to school: There is an empty fenced in lot. It is overgrown, cluttered with garbage and generally not beautiful, but every morning there is a car there with the door propped open and an older man inside. Recently I noticed that there were cats around the car when it was there. For about the past month I have felt like I should stop and say, "Hi"...but I have not. It just seemed weird. What would he think? What would I say?
Yesterday the feeling that I should stop was so overwhelming that after passing the lot, I felt I should turn around, but I did not...I had someone that I was meeting and did not want to be late. It turned out that the other person was late and I would have had plenty of time.
Today, again, I felt the nudge to stop, but passed on by. I drove down the road until almost reaching the turn for my suburban, neatly manicured subdivision, pulled off to the side of the road and turned around. As I approached, I pulled slowly onto the curb in front of the lot with the garbage and the cats (I should probably mention that I am not a cat person.) I got out of the car wondering if I should grab my phone to tuck into my pocket just in case. I locked the car with just my keys in hand and walked through the overgrown yard. From a distance I yelled, "Hello."
An older gentleman sitting in the backseat of the car turned toward me. In front of him in the car was a bowl of wet and dry cat food. As he smiled he revealed a mint in his mouth. His name is, Herb. He is 85. He lives in an assisted living facility and spends every day on this lot where he had a home prior to moving to the facility. His cat's name is, Baby. The rest of the cats are just strays that he is willing to feed. He used to be a truck driver, so he has seen much of the country. His favorite meal is Corned Beef and Cabbage. Ironically someone just gave me a head of cabbage yesterday. (coincidence? I think not.) Today I have to go to the store. I will be looking for corned beef.
I invited him for dinner, but the fact that we have 5 kids seemed to scare him a bit... Maybe by Christmas time we won't be so scary. He already has an invitation!
Is there someone that you pass everyday that you don't see? Ironically, after finally stopping to talk to Herb, the following article was posted by one of my friends. (again...coincidence??? NOPE!)
If...the Holy Spirit is nudging you,
Then...PLEASE
MOVE...in a way that shows HIS love to the world!
35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
Click to listen to the pefect song for this story. "The Twenty First Time"
photos from: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
Comments (3)
Tracy:
Nov 20, 2013 at 12:09 PM
Wendy,I love that you did this. I too have stopped and talked to people, bought them lunch or just talked to see what was going on in their lives. I think we are sometimes afraid .. and yet too, embarrassed that how we live and what we have puts things into perspective of what some don't have.
I am so proud of you and who you are.. what you have done to bring up such amazing children and how you are reaching into the world on so many levels.. I love this story. Thanks for sharing it.. and I too hope Herb comes by for Christmas. I'm SURE he had wonderful stories to tell. FASCINTATING. I plan on going to the VA and "adopting" a family over the holiday and seeing what I can do to lift their spirit and as well, going to Manor Care nursing home and taking Nikki to bring some joy into those elderly people that somehow people forget about. I love you
Valerie Johnson:
Nov 20, 2013 at 02:32 PM
There is a Christian song called "The Twenty-First Time" don't know who sings it but the words say it all when it comes to your latest blog Wendy . Can you add the song to your blog? Just incase someone would like a vocal reminder to follow the nudge of the Holy Spirit the song would be there for all to hear.
Wendy:
Nov 20, 2013 at 02:50 PM
Valerie, great suggestion! I added the song to the post!
Add a Comment