“Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers." ~ Hebrews 13:2
The bus rattled down familiar urban streets affording riders
a sort of distant intimacy. Some gaze aimlessly out the window while others absorb
themselves in music. Most drift into worries that’ll scatter upon arrival. All together
yet separate, feeling identical bumps and curves.
The morning bus ride afforded Nathan time for silent prayer.
“Lord,” he pled daily, “cross my path today with someone who needs me.”
No one seemed to
notice.
After a brief exchange,
the bus driver quietly removed her UGGs and gave them to the random lady. She stared
at them curiously. They belonged to someone of means, not the harsh world of
alleys and park benches.
But she took them, they
were hers now. She slipped into them carefully. They were almost new, with no
wear on the soles and heels. Her smile broadened with pride; tears flowed
easily.
Then Nathan noticed
something that would remain with him for the rest of his life. The woman’s walk
toward the back of the bus was commanding and authoritative – an energized, steady,
and confident stride. People noticed. She now owned boots that would provide winter
protection.
UGGs, lined with
sheepskin, are designed to be worn without socks. The bus driver who’d
surrendered ownership to the vagrant woman, now sat shoeless - exposed and
vulnerable.
Nathan reached up
under the cuffs of his trousers, pulled down his freshly washed black socks one
at a time, and walked them to the front of the bus. "Take these
please,” he offered. “They're not very warm. But you can’t drive a bus without
them."
After seeing what Nathan
did, another passenger gave the driver an extra pair of socks to put on over
Nathan’s. Soon others were stripping off their socks in a wild frenzy to increase
padding for the rest of her shift.
Shoeless passengers seemed transformed by their own
kindness - less aloof, perhaps humbler, and more accessible. No one was more
touched by it than Sarah, who was still homeless but realized the power of simple
kindness.
Imagine your home has been taken away. Clothes and
belongings you can no longer carry are gone. Imagine having no access to fresh food,
sleeping in the cold with no bed and no privacy. Worse still, imagine a lonely
existence without friends or family.
Too many don't have to imagine this nightmare... because
they’re living it, trying to survive it, or recovering from it. We’re often
reminded to walk in someone else's shoes. But it's even more important to let
someone stand in ours sometimes.
Father God, break my heart… in a good way, soften
it so that I might love like You and in so doing, lead me to new life, new
fruit, and new, beautiful beginnings. Amen
