I Met God

I saw a man in a suit walking up to a street woman. He placed a bag next to her. She was nodding out, and so didn't notice him.

I approached him and asked, "I don't mean to disturb you, but she's my friend and I don't want her harmed. If you don't mind, what's in the bag?"

He said, "I don't mind. There's a few sandwiches in there, some candy bars, a warm coat, a Fred Meyer's card and a hundred dollars in an envelope marked 'for a hotel.'"

My eyes widened. "You're very generous. I just need to let you know that she's a heroin addict, so most of that money will go up her arm. She might use some of it for a motel so she could be safe for the night."

He shrugged, "Maybe so. What she does with it is her responsibility. But I lived on the street once, and I used. A man gave me a hundred dollars for Christmas once and I used it on drugs. When I recovered, I realized that he had given me love straight from God, and I wasted it. I wept for a day. From that point on, I made a decision that I would follow God's love. It took me a while, but I quit the drugs because I couldn't focus on God's love. I followed around a homeless advocate who was always feeding people and she showed me her work. Eventually, I helped her with her work, and she got me a job at a shelter.

"I realize that God's love is to just give freely. God gives sunshine to everyone-- it doesn't matter if they are on drugs or a banker or a cop or a priest. He doesn't play favorites. He gives life to us all. I want to reflect God's love.

"Perhaps she'll wake up, like I did, and realize that God's love has touched her. And she'll choose to follow that love, like I did."

As I watched him walk away, I realize that he was the embodiment of God. I don't know if God lives in him, or he is creating God out of the love he has. But the light in him is divine.