"What goes around comes around"
Good morning said a
woman as she walked up to the man sitting on the ground.
The man slowly
looked up.
This was a woman
clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new.. She looked
like she had never missed a meal in her life.
His first thought
was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before..
"Leave me alone," he growled....
To his amazement,
the woman continued standing.
She was smiling --
her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows. "Are you hungry?"
she asked.
"No," he
answered sarcastically. "I've just come from dining with the President.
Now go away."
The woman's smile
became even broader. Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm.
"What are you
doing, lady?" the man asked angrily. "I said to leave me alone.
Just then a
policeman came up. "Is there any problem, ma'am?" he asked..
"No problem
here, officer," the woman answered. "I'm just trying to get this man
to his feet. Will you help me?"
The officer
scratched his head. "That's old Jack. He's been a fixture around here for
a couple of years. What do you want with him?"
"See that
cafeteria over there?" she asked. "I'm going to get him something to
eat and get him out of the cold for awhile."
"Are you
crazy, lady?" the homeless man resisted. "I don't want to go in
there!" Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up.
"Let me go, officer. I didn't do anything."
"This is a
good deal for you, Jack" the officer answered. "Don't blow it."
Finally, and with
some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria
and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so
most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet
arrived...
The manager strode
across the cafeteria and stood by his table. "What's going on here,
officer?" he asked. "What is all this, is this man in trouble?"
"This lady
brought this man in here to be fed," the policeman answered.
"Not in
here!" the manager replied angrily. "Having a person like that here
is bad for business.."
Old Jack smiled a
toothless grin. "See, lady. I told you so. Now if you'll let me go. I
didn't want to come here in the first place."
The woman turned to
the cafeteria manager and smiled....... "Sir, are you familiar with Eddy
and Associates, the banking firm down the street?"
"Of course I
am," the manager answered impatiently. "They hold their weekly
meetings in one of my banquet rooms."
"And do you
make a godly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?"
"What business
is that of yours?"
I, sir, am Penelope
Eddy, president and CEO of the company."
"Oh."
The woman smiled
again. "I thought that might make a difference." She glanced at the
cop who was busy stifling a giggle. "Would you like to join us in a cup of
coffee and a meal, officer?"
"No thanks,
ma'am," the officer replied. "I'm on duty."
"Then,
perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?"
"Yes, ma’am.
That would be very nice."
The cafeteria
manager turned on his heel, "I'll get your coffee for you right away,
officer."
The officer watched
him walk away. "You certainly put him in his place," he said.
"That was not
my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this."
She sat down at the
table across from her amazed dinner guest. She stared at him intently..
"Jack, do you remember me?"
Old Jack searched
her face with his old, rheumy eyes. "I think so -- I mean you do look
familiar."
"I'm a little
older perhaps," she said. "Maybe I've even filled out more than in my
younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and
hungry."
"Ma'am?"
the officer said questioningly. He couldn't believe that such a magnificently
turned out woman could ever have been hungry.
"I was just
out of college," the woman began. "I had come to the city looking for
a job, but I couldn't find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents
and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was
February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on
the off chance that I could get something to eat."
Jack lit up with a
smile. "Now I remember," he said.. "I was behind the serving
counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I
said that it was against company policy."
"I know,"
the woman continued. "Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich
that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a
corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble...
Then, when I looked over and saw you put the price of my food in the cash
register, I knew then that everything would be all right."
"So you
started your own business?" Old Jack said.
"I got a job
that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business
that, with the help of God, prospered." She opened her purse and pulled
out a business card.. "When you are finished here, I want you to pay a
visit to a Mr. Lyons...He's the personnel director of my company. I'll go talk
to him now and I'm certain he'll find something for you to do around the
office." She smiled. "I think he might even find the funds to give
you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live
until you get on your feet... If you ever need anything, my door is always
opened to you."
There were tears in
the old man's eyes. "How can I ever thank you?" he said.
"Don't thank
me," the woman answered. "To God goes the glory.....He
led me to you."
Outside the
cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their
separate ways....
"Thank you for
all your help, officer," she said.
"On the
contrary, Ms. Eddy," he answered. "Thank you. I saw a miracle today,
something that I will never forget. And.. And thank you for the coffee."
God is going to
shift things around for you today and let things work in your favour.
God closes doors no
man can open & God opens doors no man can close.
