The Woman

I was just getting ready to leave the parking lot with a trunk full of groceries when there was a soft rap on my car window. I jumped a mile

as I was once again daydreaming. I do that a lot.

I rolled down my window and a woman said do you have any money so that I could buy something to eat? The smell from her body and breath were atrocious. It was all I could do to keep from gagging. She was a homeless woman, and most likely a substance abuser of some kind.

I told her that I wouldn't give her any money (I didn't want her to use it for drugs) but that I would drive across the street to one of the local fast food places and buy her some lunch.

She pointed to the one she liked and I said—wait here, I'll be back soon.

I bought her enough food for 2 or 3 meals and then remembered that I had some cupcakes from the grocery store in the back. So, into her bag, they went.

I drove back into the parking lot and there she was--she knew I'd return.

She looked into her bag of food and began to cry a little. How did you know it was my birthday?

Through the tears in my own eyes, I said,

I didn't know, but God knew, right?

Her son knew too but had decided for some reason known only to him that he would not celebrate this day with his mother. She said to me,

he has a right to hate me.

As I drove away I started to cry. I was thanking God--that He had brought her into my life. He taught me many things that day. One of them was to pray--pray for her and her son. It's been years and I still think of her. I often pray for her and the restoration of her relationship with her family. And another lesson was--not to judge. I don't know her story. I don't have the right to judge her or anyone else. That is hard for me and something that I am reminded to work on daily.

I don't think I did anything life-altering for her that day, but I do know that my life was changed. I don't look at the homeless or less fortunate the same way I used to. I think of them more often now. My heart was changed a little that day—it was softened, made to be just a little more tender. A little more merciful.

I believe that certain people are brought into our lives at particular times for many reasons. I want to be aware of these occurrences as they happen. I want to learn, and be kind hearted and to always be thankful. And I am. I'm learning.