When Selena and I had gone up to Philadelphia for a presentation, we ran across a guy in a wheelchair who asked us for a couple dollars. I told him I would give him some money if he could tell me where to find the best cheese steak sandwich. He told us where to go and as we got a few blocks down the road, it was like a lightning bolt hit me. I asked Selena, "Why didn't we just ask him to show us where to get one and then buy him a meal"? I completely blew my opportunity to treat that man like one of God's children. I saw God...but not until he had already left me.
Again, more recently, while we were in a Barnes & Noble having some coffee, a man came through the Starbucks area and was asking people for change. My first reaction...how inappropriate for someone to be panhandling in here and harassing customers. Management should do something about it. When he came to me, I gave him nothing. Of course, I also had nothing in my pockets to give him, but that is not the point. I probably would not have anyway, because after all, he had interrupted our coffee to beg for money. It was not until after he had left the store and Selena and I were talking that we realized that we had once again had a visit from God in our lives...and we had told Him to go away.
This had happened the Sunday of the Gospel reading where Jesus told the people that "whatsoever you did for the least one of my people, you did it for Me". The least of His people had visited us and instead of asking him if we could buy him some food or a coffee, we sent him on his way with nothing. After that day, we decided to make a concerted effort to never allow that to happen again.
During this Advent Season, as we prepare for Christ's birth...look for God in the people you meet as you go about your business. Yes, people can be mean and rude this time of year, but God may be the person you talk to after your run-in with the rude shopper. Don't carry the rudeness over to Him...and maybe offer Him a cup of Pumpkin Spice!
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