Entertaining an Angel

Becoming a Christian was the best thing that ever happened to me in my life, but it was very confusing at first.  What would be expected of me?  How am I suppose to behave?  I had always understood Christianity to mean that I had to be perfect and sinless; if I wasn’t then I must not really be a Christian.  As God began to take real situations in my life and open my heart to see the spiritual application, it changed my perception of Christianity.  I realized that becoming a Christian meant that I could start a new life and begin a journey with God.  This story is part of my early journey with God and what He taught me about being obedient.

For several months I had been without a job.  I wasn’t really looking for one but I wanted to do something more productive with my life.  I received a call from Naomi, the secretary at my church.  She had a job offer and I accepted.  I was on my way to fill out the papers to make it all official when I stopped to pick up a combo meal from the local burger joint.  While waiting to order I decided to get two combos and take one to Naomi as a thank you.  I had never been to lunch with her and I didn’t know what she liked, so I got hers the same as mine.  I felt very proud of myself for doing something nice for someone else and could hardly wait to get to the church.  About that time I remembered that sometimes a volunteer comes to help her.  What if she was there and I didn’t get her anything, so I decided that I could give her mine.  This meant that I would have to see if she was there before I ate any of my food or drank my soda.  Just when I thought the problem was solved I wondered what I would do if they were gone to lunch or already had plans, then I would have extra food, and reheated burger and fries are gross.  As I was dealing with this dilemma in my head, I saw a man on the side of the road in front of a convenient store.  He looked to be barefooted and his clothes were old and worn.  He had long blonde hair matted with dirt.  I had never seen him before.  I live in a fairly small town and it is uncommon to see people on the roadside like that but he was my answer.  If they already had plans, I said to myself, then the extra food I could bring back to give to him.  Again, just when all my problems were solved, God said, “Give it to him now.”  “Wait, what, NO!” I exclaimed as I sped up, “I got that for Naomi.”  And He said again, “Give it to him now.”  “But Lord,” I said in disappointment, “I want to give it to Naomi, that’s who I bought it for.”  He said, “Naomi is taken care of, I want him to have it.”  By this time I was about a mile down the road.  I turned around and headed back to the store with a whole new argument.  “What am I going to say to him Lord?  I don’t want him to think I am looking down on him.  What am I supposed to say?  ‘Here, you look like you could use some food’ or ‘The Lord told me to stop and give this to you.’  I don’t know what to say.”  God said, “Don’t worry about what to say.”  When I got back to the convenient store,  I didn’t see him.  I was afraid that I had argued with God too long.  But, just as I was about to give up hope, there he was walking across the parking lot.  I walked over to him calling “Sir”, and my eye was drawn to a couple in a car, they were looking at me as I walked toward him.  I heard the man say, “Oh, I thought you were talking to me.”  I turned my attention back to him and said, “Oh, yes sir, I was talking to you, I’m sorry…”  I don’t know what I said after that.  Something about a friend and extra food.  He was following me to my car when I said, “It is only going to waste if someone doesn’t eat it.”  I lead him to the passenger side and pulled a hamburger and fries out of the bag; I handed it to him along with a coke.  I never looked at his face I only saw his hands.  I watched him walk away struggling to carry everything.  Then, a couple getting gas caught my eye, they were watching me, as I watch him.  I didn’t look for him after that but he was headed for the back of the store.  I got in my car and continued on my way, but I was only a few miles down the road when I realized that I did not give him a napkin.  Then an avalanche of mistakes came rushing into my head.   I didn’t give him ketchup, salt, or a bag!  I had an empty bag sitting in the seat next to me that he could have used to carry his food.  I didn’t need that bag; it was serving me no purpose. And how could I leave without telling him about Jesus!  I didn’t tell him about the Lord!  It was so hot that day I could have let him sit in the air-conditioned car to eat, then I could’ve shared Jesus with him.  While I was beating myself up for all the wrongs I did, God said, “Thank you for being obedient, you did fine.”  I always look for him when I pass that convenient store and remember the day I pleased God.

This story is one that I cherish because looking back I believe that I am the only one that saw the barefooted, long-haired man that I fed that day and God taught me a lesson in obedience.  God didn’t ask me to share Jesus with that man, He didn’t ask me to give him a ride, or give him a napkin, bag, or condiments.  God asked me to give him the food and told me not to worry about what to say, and that is what I did.  Be careful that you are not too critical on yourself.  Just obey God and enjoy your journey with Him.

Sharon Hoskins