unlikely disguise

I was in Shoppers’ Drug Mart the other day picking up some necessities - conditioner to be more specific, because without it, I look like Tina Turner...Seriously. Anyways, I was on the way to the register, when the Valentine’s Day cards caught my eye. I stopped to read a few of them, not even sure why I was doing it. I wasn't going to buy one, and I barely ever stopped to look at any kind of card, I usually just make my own - its way more fun that way. But for some reason I stood there for at least 5 minutes picking one up after the other. After a few minutes, I felt a squeeze on my arm, and a little old man stood beside me and asked if the cards I was looking at were the $1 cards. I explained to him that they were just a special display of Valentine’s Day ones, and he kind of laughed at me and told me that he and his kids never bought cards but always made them for special occasions. I told him I usually did the same, and who knew...our conversation only grew from there.

Our meeting in the card section led to a 20 minute look into this strangers life. “I have many memories from my life” he told me as he described his family, particularly his grandchildren and great grandchildren, the youngest of which is only 5 months. I learned of how he worked on a farm for $0.50 in his younger days, and of how he went through schooling which led him to a better job where he made $300.00. “That was a lot of money back then, just compare it to a teachers’ salary in those days.” I’m pretty sure I smiled the entire time we chatted, especially all the times he paused mid sentence catching himself before he swore - no doubt it is un-polite to curse in front of a lady. He offered me advice and shared experiences that brought an obvious joy to his life. It’s amazing how a person can find comfort in the eyes of a stranger, like I did that day. Everything that I had been worrying about seemed to fade away a little bit after talking to him. I can only hope I did something for his heart in return.

After he had gone, I thought about the fact that I just had a 20 minute conversation with a complete stranger in the middle of a drug store for no reason at all. The more I thought about it, the more I wondered if maybe there was a reason behind this random encounter. I have come to realize that there are times in my life when I feel God softening my heart towards somebody, like he is telling me to reach out to them; to love them. Then there are times when I let the business and worries of my own life drown out his voice, as if I have no time to love someone who needs it in that moment.

The old man will forever be a reminder of how I must continually seek God in the most unexpected places. To always listen to his voice telling me to love the stranger, the hungry, the poor... “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” God has taken on the unlikely disguise of those we so often pass by without a second thought. I hate to think that I have missed a chance to give even just a piece of myself back to the one who gave all of himself for me.