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Moment Messages
What goes around comes around.... So True
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 goodly 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, I 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 thank you for the coffee."
If you have missed knowing me, you have missed nothing. If you have missed
some of my emails, you might have missed a laugh.
But, if you have missed knowing my LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, you have
missed everything in the world.
Have a Wonderful Day. May God Bless You Always. And don't forget that when
you "cast your bread upon the waters," you never know how it will be
returned to you.
(Hope this is repeated many times today!)
God is so big He can cover
the whole world with his Love and so small He can curl up inside your heart. |
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