This morning as I went
outside to run for a little while, I noticed a man looking down into our trash
bin out by the road. He didn’t notice me
at first but as he looked up and realized I was there, he shut the top quickly
and seemed shameful. I started walking
toward him slowly and asked if there was something he needed. He said hesitantly, “Actually ma’am, I need
some food.” He had a yellow grocery bag
he was carrying with food from other people’s trash. My heart broke as I realized he was probably
trying to feed his family and doing his best at that point to do it. I asked if I could make him a sandwich. I ran upstairs as fast as I could, created a
peanut butter and honey sandwich (we were out of jelly). I placed it in a bag for him, added a few
large carrot sticks, our last apple, a plum, and lastly one of the last few
homemade Snickerdoodle cookies I had made.
I felt like what I was doing was so little for the problem he faced.
As I ran down the stairs from
the kitchen to give him the little bit of food I had gathered, I asked what his
name was. He said Mu (or something like
that) and as soon as he realized I couldn’t pronounce it well, he said, “You
can call me Moses, other people do too.”
I asked if he had any kids and he said he had a 9 year old boy to
feed. I talked to him for a little while
asking him a few more questions. He
seemed in a hurry to collect as much food as possible for his family. But before he left, I asked if I could pray
for him. It was the least I could
do. I didn’t know much about his
situation, what he was facing, or where he had come from, but I knew God did
and would be with him even if I couldn’t be.
I felt helpless and as if I
had helped this man very little. God
continued to remind me that I had done exactly what He asked me to and that He
had the whole situation taken care of, all He wanted me to do now, was
pray. I felt like this man was in search
of physical food, but needed spiritual food as well. I wished I had had that opportunity to talk
to him about Jesus and the hope he could have in Him. I wished I could have welcomed him into God’s
arms as a new believer and child of God.
God once again reassured me that I had done my part and He would use
others in Moses’ life along his journey.
I know, believe, and trust that God is in control. I don’t need to worry whether Moses is okay,
because God has him. He knew him before
he was even born. He knew I would meet
up with him today at that very moment, share some food, prayer, and a smile. It was God-appointed. He knew that it would be an encouragement to
Moses. That’s all I need to know…God has
him. I have peace for Moses’ life and I
pray for him.
“For I was
hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something
to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you
clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to
visit me…I [King Jesus] tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the
least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
~Matthew
25:35-36, 40
