There is Still Hope

Thursday was a beautiful day, lower 70's, bright, sunshine.  I had finished physical therapy for the morning and walked the half mile to a grocery store, picking up enough for for two days worth of meals and then started for home.  Well, I didn't get much past started, because my knee, even in its brace, collapsed.  Luckily I was but a few hops from Starbucks.  So, I picked up an iced tea and sat in their outdoor section, alone but in full enjoyment of the morning.

Humming birds buzzed around my head, some chick-a-dis thought my banana bread looked mighty good.  And about 150 feet away sits Tony with a sign readying, "World War II Veteran, help need.".

Now Tony has been a fixture there for about three years now.  I heard that he lives with a grand-daughter whom works at the grocery store and as she works, he tries to pick up some extra money for them.  Very sad how this culture fails its true heroes.  Sadder still at how the local church ignores the needs of those, in or outside, of their ministry!  Here sits a ministry opportunity ... unanswered by any of the 24 churches within a one mile radius.  I have even seen my own pastors walk past him with no comment.  Cold, distant, out of touch, pure evil, but I am not condemning the pastors, for they are but a reflection of this culture.

I sat there for perhaps an hour and no one approached him at all.  And I thought to myself, this is an evil and vile culture when the old can not even sustain their lives without begging!  Then, when reduced to begging, there is no one to help.  So, I prayed, "Lord, I really do not know this man's story, and I know that I have never helped him since he showed up after I lost my job.  But, please bless that man as you deem appropriate.  Amen."

Within minutes a guy walked up and started arguing with the man.  I am not sure what was said but the young guy stomped off.  Then one of the Starbucks workers came outside and took him a drink.  I thought, wow!  As she walked back, but too far for me to have politely said anything, I quietly mouthed, "Thank you."

Her eyes lit up and she smiled and mouthed back, "I love him..."  The grand-daughter perhaps?  But, no, it turns out.

He quietly sat there with his Starbucks, sign in the other hand.

The young man whom had some sort of argument returned with a sandwich and cold drink from one of the local shops and set them on the sidewalk beside him.  By now the Starbucks lady rejoined and they all walked back to the table beside mine as she was telling Tony she was on break.  They talked for a long time, so I heard his story.  The young man as he left promised to bring him lunch everyday.  As the young woman had to return to work, they hugged and he got up to walk back to t his chair.  She gave me another look, quizzical but kind.  The only new female I have encountered this year I thought I could trust, if I had to, and I would like to just end this year with the one I have as a friend now.

I picked up my bag and with cane in hand joined him as he walked back to his chair.  He was being honked at by an impatient woman wanting to drag race out of the drive through lane.  I gave her a contemptuous look and she took her hand off of the horn and allowed the two to of us to walk across the driveway, slowly as she now chatted on her phone.

Tony is a neat old man.  We talked for about half an hour.  Yeah, I will probably yak more with him when I can walk that far again!

Those two young people have renewed my hope for mankind.  Each different, probably each with their reasons for helping him, but two is more than I have ever seen help him in the previous three years.

And should this weekend's gun show go well, I guess I will be able to help him a little as well.... I should probably add that the only reason I was at Starbucks is because my youngest daughter gave me a Starbucks card this month.  She is a dear and spoils this odd duck of an adoptive father, God has saddled her with.  Which is lucky for me or I would never have been at Starbucks otherwise.