be happy for this moment, this moment is your life.
Today i went to Panda Express… just wait, the story gets better ;). I pulled up to the front of the building and sat in my car for a minute. The reason i sat in my car and didnt go in right away was because i saw a man, who was clearly homeless, talking to himself and making big gestures with his hands. I am writing about this, because it impacted my life and not because i want to teach or preach in anyway, which is also why i am going to be completely honest and say that i was scared of the homeless man at first. I shouldn’t have been scared, i’ve talked to many homeless people before. I dont know if i was actually scared or just concerned about if he might approach me as i walk up and if he did approach me i wondered what he was going to say or do. As i was sitting in the car i saw two different people enter Panda Express. I noticed the homeless man asked both of them for money, they both said they didn’t have any. I got out of the car to walk up and sure enough the man asked me if i had any money, he said “I’m homeless and hungry, do you have money to spare?” i told him i didnt have any cash, which was the truth, so i offered to buy him a meal. He thanked me of course and i opened the door for him.
When we walked in the restuarant i could feel the eyes of people watching me. Probably wondering why i brought the homeless man in with me. The homeless man said “Hi, my name is Alfred, whats your name?” I told him my name is Leah. He then asked me if he could get two things and i told him he could get whatever he wanted. He proceeeded through the line ordering his food and drink and while i was in line about to pay for Alfred’s food and my own, a man approached me. The man tapped on my shoulder and said “Are you buying this man food?” I said “yes” thinking that he was going to tell me that it’s a waste of time or something, i’m not sure why i thought that, i just figured so many ignore the homeless and i thought he was going to tell me it was stupid of me to spend my money on him, in which case i would have given him an earful for sure :). But he didn’t say that… after i told him yes he hugged me, it was one of the tightest hugs i’ve ever had and definitely the tightest hug from a stranger. He then looked me in the eye and said “You are an angel.” I was shocked. He then told me he gave money to Alfred and was sitting in his car with his two children, 4 and 7, watching people walk by and ignore Alfred. He said “My children noticed that you opened the door for him and i realized that you were going to buy him a meal. Then my children were so happy that you talked to him and brought him inside with you, they said ‘there are still good people in the world daddy!’ so thank you for that.” And i said “Thank you for that!” I then bought Alfred his meal, he told me his name again and asked what mine was again, he must have forgotten. I told him to have an amazing night and he told me to do the same.
I then got into my car and started crying. I was crying because i was thankful for that man that gave money to Alfred and that he thought what i did was good, because i never considered i would be noticed. Honestly, i thought i would be judged for bringing a homeless man in and perhaps i was, but it doesnt matter. I was thankful for his children that have faith in humanity again but i was also sad for them because at such a young age they had the knowledge that people are not good. And i cried for Alfred, because i dont have the slightest idea what it is like to be homeless and yet we come out the hero, the ‘angel’ when we give money to these people. To be honest, i love that he called me an angel, but i dont think i am one. I think i am someone who loves God and loves his people more than anything. I think i am someone who wants to bring kindness back into everyone’s life. I don’t know what its like to have no home, no family, no friends and no money and yet Alfred doesnt have any of those and he still smiled. Yes, perhaps he talks to himself, doesnt smell good and is missing the majority of his teeth but he still smiles, he still thanked me and he still said “God bless you.” I’m not the angel… i think Alfred is the angel.
