Toilet paper, hair spray, and bread…
I had my grocery list in hand, grateful it was small. Buying groceries has never been my favorite thing to do and I usually procrastinate till the list is overwhelming. Today, I was proud to have a short list. I was really just tagging along with my youngest daughter, Gay Lynn, and stopping off to buy a few groceries happened to be on her “to do” list.
We were pushing the grocery cart up the aisle, more engrossed in conversation than groceries, when an old man and small boy passed us. Unshaven, disheveled and dirty, the man’s stench lingered in the air. The frail looking child, equally unkept, was pushing the cart. Having grandchildren of my own, my heart was drawn to them. They moved up and down the aisle at a snail’s pace. The old man appeared to be talking to the child. The child occasionally smiled as if to humor the old man but it was evident the food on the shelves had his complete attention.
By the third time they passed us, I glanced into their cart. It was empty. As we rounded another aisle and out of their hearing I nudged my daughter. “Have you noticed the old man and little boy?” She nodded yes. “Their cart is empty,” I continued. Her eyes grew wide. “Oh, Mom,” she whispered, “what can we do?”
For minutes we stood, huddled in a grocery store aisle, contemplating the issue before us. Our cart was filled with all the items we needed as well as some things we didn’t need but we had become aware of someone whose needs had possibly been far from met for a long time.
“I don’t have any cash on me,” Gay Lynn said. “Neither do I.” We both felt helpless. As we passed them again on the way to the checkout counter packages of Ramen noodles slid around in the bottom of their otherwise empty cart. I was first introduced to Ramen noodles when our kids were in college. They were cheap and filling, and college kids survived on them in order to have money for the important things such as new clothes and partying. I suspected that today this really was for survival. As we got in line to check out Gay Lynn was frantically looking around for an ATM. I was desperately praying under my breath, “Lord, these people need help and that little boy is hungry. Help us help them!”
Suddenly I remembered Phil handed me a $20 bill that morning. I did have cash!
I turned to Gay Lynn. “I have a $20 bill in my purse; I forgot about it. We’ll give that to them. But we have to think of a discreet way.”
I wrote my check, scooped up my bag of groceries as GayLynn was paying for hers. We moved over to the side near the door, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. The old man walked toward where we were standing while the little boy stood in line clutching a dollar bill to pay for the noodles.
Carefully Gay Lynn approached them as they walked past. “ Sir, we wouldn’t offend you for the world, but we’d like to help you buy some groceries.” Will you allow us to give you this $20? We really want to help.”
The little boy was intently watching the face of the older man as he looked at us. He appeared startled while an awkward silence stood between my daughter’s outstretched hand and a small boy’s pleading eyes.
“Yes ma’am , we’ll be glad to take your help,” he spoke softly. The boy’s eyes seemed to sparkle as a grin spread across his face. “This is my grandson,” the old man said, looking down tosseling the boy’s blonde hair. “His two baby sisters are at the house; we’re raising them since their parents died.” He sighed and continued. “It’s really a struggle, but we manage.”
I had been standing off to the side, watching as Gay Lynn interacted. “You’re doing a great job,” she patted the old man on the arm. “You’ve got a fine looking grandson. Why don’t you go back and buy a few more groceries?”
“Yes ma’am, we will. Thank-you.” They slowly retreated down an aisle.
Heading out the door, both our faces stained with tears we climbed into our car and neither said a word. “Let’s sit here and see when they come out,” Gay Lynn suggested. Shortly they appeared. The little boy was almost skipping and the old man carried a large sack of groceries. We watched them cross the parking lot and climb into a van rusted from one end to the other.
We pulled out of the parking lot, the silence broken only by an occasional sniffle.
I wish I could say I felt good but I kept thinking about the $20. That was given out of my own abundance. I used what I had available but it didn’t seem like enough. Their faces continued to haunt me.
Since that day I go to the grocery store armed and ready. While it is important to help people discreetly, it is more important to feed the hungry when God places a face within our reach. Jesus fed five thousand with fish and loaves and we call it a miracle. That day He fed a family with a $20 bill and by the look in that little boy’s face that was a miracle.
The fact that in our normal routine the Father of the universe allows us to be part of such a demonstration of His love is priceless.
“And the Father will answer and say, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ Matt. 25:40
