Just A Thought

Jesus came into the store today. He was dressed in old, thrift store clothes that didn’t fit is tall, overweight body. He smelt like urine and cigarettes, and had obviously not taken a shower or shaved in a very long time. He asked for a small cup so he could feel it with some cold water on this hot summer day, but I didn’t listen. Instead, I gave him a large cup, felt with water, and ice as well. And even though he didn’t buy anything, I said what I would say to any paying customer, “Have a good day.”

Later that week, I saw Jesus again at the department store. This time, he was a shorter, and wearing cleaner clothes that fit his smaller, healthier body. You could smell the cucumber melon shampoo that was used to clean his long blonde hair, that was pulled back into a pony tell, stretching down to his lower back. He needed help with a camping tent. It was in a big bag, and he couldn’t get it onto his shopping cart. I didn’t work there, but I still gave him a hand by picking it up, and putting it in his shopping cart. “Thank you,” he said to me with a smile. I probably will never see him again, at least not like this.

Two weeks later, I ran into Jesus again. This time he was at the coffee shop. Being much older, with his gray, curly hair, he made his way up to the door, taking every shaky step, with a cane in his left hand. He was coming as I was leaving, so I held the door open as he walked by. “Thank you young man,” he said to me in his shaky, older voice with that older, grand motherly smile. “You’re welcome ma’am,” I replied.

Jesus came by my house today. He just wanted to talk. So I let him in, and we conversed. He had done some things he regretted, and just wanted someone to listen to him. So I gave him an ear and a hug, because that seemed like something he needed right then. I took him out to eat later on, and we talked some more. He’s feeling better now, all I really did was talk and listen, mostly listen. It wasn’t much I gave him, just some of my time.

“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40

Sam Lopez 2004. Updated 2007.