I stopped at Circle K on the way home from a disappointing afternoon and bought myself a pack of peanut butter cookies. I just had some change, but I managed to sneak by with what I had. I was not broke. I had money at home, and food to eat in the fridge, but I was hungry right then and there and I didn't want to wait.
.
I got on the bus to head home, already scarfing down my cookies. I watched a family of four, mother, father, and a little boy and girl get on the bus and head my way. The kids raced to the back and took their seats. I slid over and made a space. Dad asked mom if she wanted to sit down, but she said no. so he sat down himself. I listened as they talked, so much kindness and thoughtfulness in the way that they spoke to each other.
The little boy squeezed in between me and his father, using my leg as an armrest, as little boys sometimes do. I smiled, trying not to snicker. He sat there for a bit and watched me eat my cookies. I only had two left. He kept staring at the cookies. I tapped Dad on the shoulder and pointed my pack of cookies to the boy. He nodded and I offered them to the boy, but he didn't want them after all. Dad told me he just had just eaten a bag of chips and probably wasn't hungry.
As the bus took off, I kidded to Dad that these cookies were my dinner, and he nodded and we both smiled again. I finished up the last two cookies as we rode. The family's stop came and they all grabbed each other and started getting off the bus. Dad was the last one to get off and as he did, he turned back to me and held out his fist. I opened my hand and in it he placed 75 cents. He told me that maybe I could go get another pack of cookies.
I was speechless. I wanted to tell him something, tell him that I wasn't really that hungry, that I was just kidding, that I was going to eat a big salad when I got home, but all that came out of my mouth was a quiet "thankyou."
He got off the bus and caught up to his family and the bus drifted away. I sat there with 75 cents in my hand, letting this amazing act of kindness sink into my head. I thought about it over and over until tears stung my eyes. My stop came and I jumped off the bus like a little boy, thinking about which kind of cookies I was going to buy as I made my way home...
"Forget not to show love unto strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." -Hebrews 13:2
.
I got on the bus to head home, already scarfing down my cookies. I watched a family of four, mother, father, and a little boy and girl get on the bus and head my way. The kids raced to the back and took their seats. I slid over and made a space. Dad asked mom if she wanted to sit down, but she said no. so he sat down himself. I listened as they talked, so much kindness and thoughtfulness in the way that they spoke to each other.
The little boy squeezed in between me and his father, using my leg as an armrest, as little boys sometimes do. I smiled, trying not to snicker. He sat there for a bit and watched me eat my cookies. I only had two left. He kept staring at the cookies. I tapped Dad on the shoulder and pointed my pack of cookies to the boy. He nodded and I offered them to the boy, but he didn't want them after all. Dad told me he just had just eaten a bag of chips and probably wasn't hungry.
As the bus took off, I kidded to Dad that these cookies were my dinner, and he nodded and we both smiled again. I finished up the last two cookies as we rode. The family's stop came and they all grabbed each other and started getting off the bus. Dad was the last one to get off and as he did, he turned back to me and held out his fist. I opened my hand and in it he placed 75 cents. He told me that maybe I could go get another pack of cookies.
I was speechless. I wanted to tell him something, tell him that I wasn't really that hungry, that I was just kidding, that I was going to eat a big salad when I got home, but all that came out of my mouth was a quiet "thankyou."
He got off the bus and caught up to his family and the bus drifted away. I sat there with 75 cents in my hand, letting this amazing act of kindness sink into my head. I thought about it over and over until tears stung my eyes. My stop came and I jumped off the bus like a little boy, thinking about which kind of cookies I was going to buy as I made my way home...
"Forget not to show love unto strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." -Hebrews 13:2
~
with just a couple cookies
a little boy turns me
into an angel
with just a couple cookies
a little boy turns me
into an angel