“Hell yes”
This was the response I heard from the homeless man sitting outside Safeway when I asked him if I could give him a gift from Jesus.
“Hell yes, what is it”
He repeated in excitement, not even knowing what I was offering.
I was beginning to question whether I heard God correctly when I thought he had directed me to this gentleman, thinking maybe he had too much to drink to appreciate what I was going to give him. Reluctantly, I told him it was a gift card to Safeway.
“Hell yes, hell yes, now I can get bandages for my feet and SOCKS!” I looked at his bare feet shoved into hiking boots that clearly had blisters all over them.
Bandages and socks. I guess God was right, this guy needed the gift card.
I had been planning this Christmas eve adventure for almost a year now. God had been growing my “generosity gene” and encouraging me to give freely always, not just when I would get a tax-deductible receipt for it. Each month I saved cash and stored it away in an envelope in my closet. I took all my collected money and bought 25 gift cards from Einstein’s, Target, and Safeway (plus I kept some cash just in case someone needed cash).
I had several goals for this day. One was to bless people who might feel lonely and desperate at Christmas. The second was to stretch myself when it comes to hearing from God. Thirdly, my Christmas Eves have become quite lonely since my children spend the day with their father and I wanted to reinvent the day for myself.
I headed out around 9:00 am toward parts of the city that I knew have people who are struggling. I started at the ARC center, thinking there could be mothers looking for last minute gifts for their children. My first give away was to a young mother pushing her infant in a stroller. She said I didn’t HAVE to give her a gift, as she waited for the catch to this exchange. I told her it was a free gift from God if she could use it. She studied the Safeway gift card and when she was sure I could be trusted she looked up and said,
“Yes mam, I sure could”.
Drive here, turn there, park now, walk over there. I heard from God over and over as he took me to people on the edges of society.
God spoke to me to keep a card and some cash for later in the evening. This was curious to me because I was not planning on going out to give anything away later in the evening. I had plans. On my way home from my plans that evening, God reminded me to look for someone to bless. He nudged me to drive through the Safeway parking lot even though the store was closed. I expected the place would be empty with no one around. But there was one lady walking through the lot like she was on her way somewhere. I pulled up beside her.
“Excuse me, can I give you a gift from Jesus”
“Oh God bless you, of course you can”
“Here’s a gift card to Safeway”
“Free?”
“Yes free. Do you need a ride somewhere”
“Oh God bless you God bless you, I’m walking to work at the nursing home” “Well get in and I’ll take you there”
She told me she too was a single parent and Christmas Eve is very lonely for her. She worked a double shift today to stay busy and because she needs the extra money at this time of year. When she got out of the car, I handed her a 100 dollar bill and she exclaimed, “Oh God bless you, God bless you” as she hurried into the night shift at the nursing home.
I guess I had heard God clearly when he told me to keep a gift card and money for someone later in the evening!
Earlier, God pointed out a lady walking through a parking lot with her back to me. I had to weave the car around the lanes and finally get out and walk quickly to her. Her head focused on the ground, I don’t know if she heard me coming toward her or not.
“Excuse me, can I give you a gift from Jesus”
She spun her head around and I was looking her square in the eye. Her face was extremely disfigured, either a genetic deformity or she had been in a horrible accident. Only one eye worked. It took her a couple minutes to realize I was giving her 50 dollars to Target.
“It’s free?”
“Yes it’s completely free, just for you”
“Out of all these people you picked me!”
“Well, God told me to give this to YOU.”
“God sees me?”
“Yes, Yes, God see’s you and loves you just as you are”
She cried and I cried and my lonely Christmas Eve has been transformed.