A gentle smile crossed his lips, reaching all the way to his gentle hazel eyes. A toothless grin, yet filled with a kindness that I had not seen from many. He was sitting outside on the steps, minding his own business, gray hairs on his shaved head. Wearing a white shirt and grey shorts.
He waved at me, almost as if we had met before. But, this was the first time I saw him. I gently smiled back giving a wave and slight bow out of respect. Buy him an ice cream cone…I heard immediately as our eyes made connection.
I thought to myself what in the world will an ice cream cone do? Maybe I heard wrong, as I briskly walked by because I had forgotten my wallet in the place I was staying. So I brushed off the idea and thought of getting an ice cream cone for him. I got back to my room and grabbed my wallet and then rushed back down to meet up with the rest of the women I was with.
I passed by the old gentleman again, buy him an ice cream cone. I went up the stairs, again choosing to ignore it. Buy him an ice cream cone I heard for the third time. I stopped and turned to one of the women I was with and told her “I’m needing to buy and ice cream cone.” She gave me a quizzical look, since we were going to dinner first. I didn’t give any explanation but just went to the counter and ordered a plain vanilla cone.
As I was waiting she asked me “so, why are buying a cone? Craving some dessert before dinner?” I laughed, “no, you see that older gentleman over there by the stairs I’m getting it for him.” She asked me, “why are you doing that?”
Before I could answer I heard the words because I want my child to be seen, and known, for he loves ice cream, I just want him to enjoy it with me.”
I turned to her and said, “because Papa wants him to feel seen and known.”
“Vanilla cone!” was yelled out the window of the ice cream station. I went and grabbed it saying “Terima kashi” which is thank you in Bahasa here in Indonesia.
As I was walking towards the stairs and to the man, I prayed Papa I ask that he does feel seen, that he does feel known, and that he is filled with great joy. But, most importantly I pray that he feels your love, some how, some way speak to him through this ice cream cone, or just the gesture of someone taking notice of him and giving him a little treat. Your will be done, Amen!
I reached the bottom of the steps where he was and turned to him and got down to his level and said “for you” and extended the cone to him. He looked at the cone, then at me, then at the cone, and me again. Pointing to himself while looking at me, no words spoken but the question in his eyes saying “is this really for me?” I nodded my head and said “yes, for you my brother.”
He hesitantly reached out for it and grabbed it and as he did the biggest smile I’ve ever seen on someones face expanded. It was as if he was a child, just filled with great joy that he gets an ice cream cone! Again the joy that radiated from his lips extended all the way to his eyes. He looked at me and nodded his head and said “Ice cream!”
Laughing, and nodding I said “yes, yes, ice cream!” I then waved to him and said “I need to go, but I hope you like your ice cream.” Not really sure if he understood, but I walked up the stairs to meet the other women. One of them said, nodding to the man “he is so excited to have that cone.”
I glanced back and there he was as giddy as a kid eating the ice cream. I smiled and felt the same joy. Isn’t it great to give away my love in simple ways? I heard Papa say to me. In my head I laughed again and said, Yes, Jesus, you are right it sure is, and I’m sorry that I didn’t believe that an ice cream cone could bring so much joy to someone.
Later that night after dinner I was journaling about the interaction and as I did I wrote: The heart of God is simple, it isn’t complex, its simply about one thing, love. It is through this that everything else flows. But, we have made it complicated, we have defined every term, creating structures around it, but this ins’t what it is. We aren’t suppose to prove anything, work for it, strive to achieve it, simply just be it. To be willing to receive it, to be willing to give it. He isn’t asking for anything more than this “will you feed my sheep?” And this feeding is really just the giving of His love, that they may be known and seen. Whether by speaking truth to those aching hearts that need to hear it, inviting someone to join on a walk, or to simply buy an ice cream cone. His love is endless, it cannot be contained and it looks like Him. As love is given, He is seen, because to a lost world it cannot be understood as to why and the only explanation that can be given is because He first loved.
