Thankful for Anthony

In the spirit of Thanksgiving I thought I would tell a story I an thankful I am able to tell:

A few weeks ago I was in Asheville, NC to meet a friend for dinner and go to a show with her. I went up early to do some wandering and exploring. It was a cool rainy evening. I wandered for a while but shops started closing up for the evening and it was getting dark, so I found myself in a cozy coffee shop waiting for my friend to arrive. This little coffee shop is in the backside of a building in the basement. It is one of those coffee shops that attract the artsy and earthy, the bearded and bra-less of this world. One that serves organic fare-trade coffee in ceramic mugs and tofu wraps with avocado and sprouts. I walked in and instantly felt at home, I could be whoever I wanted to be with no pretenses. I ordered coffee (in a paper cup, because I though my friend might show up at anytime) and looked for a place to sit. Every table was occupied as the night was getting colder and this was such a cozy and free place to stay warm. I spotted a table in the back where an African-American man in his forties was sitting and reading. I approached and asked if I could share his table. He moved his bags around making more space for me and said that was no problem. I pulled out my journal and a book of Keats poetry that was in my purse. He asked me what I was reading and we exchanged a few sentences about journaling and then went quiet. I began writing about the day and journaling as I usually do, but as I wrote it dawned on me that the man I was sitting with was probably living on the streets. He looked world warn. The bags he had with him were grocery bags that were stuffed with what looked like a scarf and other random things. He was reading a small pocket sized book of some sort and hadn't bought anything to eat or drink. I started praying. I asked God to be with him, and to show this man His light, love, and breath. I asked God to work through me.

I continued to journal and read until I got a call from my friend. She was going to be later than she was planning and it was not going to work for us to get dinner together. She was going to give me another call when she got to the show and we were going to meet there. I then deliberated whether or not to get something to eat. I wasn't really that hungry and it was possible that my friend and I would get something to eat afterward but I ordered anyways. After ordering I went back to sit with this man, even though there were open tables and I was eating and he was not. I just felt like we had bonded in some way and I couldn't disregard that. I went back to reading and waiting. I started to wonder if this man had eaten or would eat. I wanted to bless him and thought maybe I could buy him food, but I didn't want him to think I saw him as a charity case. There were other potentially homeless people or at least people who were down-and-out in the coffee shop too. I didn't want to cause a scene.

The answer to my prayers came in another phone call from my freind. She had gotten there sooner than she thought she would and way trying to find the venue and parking. I had to leave to go meet her. My food hadn't come yet (praise God for slow service). I asked this man if he had eaten dinner yet. He looked up from his reading and looked surprised and slightly confused. He responded with a "yes ma'am" but I didn't believe him. I told him my situation, that I had ordered food but had to go and needed someone to eat it. I told him I would have the barista bring my food to him. I apologized that it was going to be a lot of veggies and I hoped he would like it. He thanked me at least three times and I told him (and really meant it) "God bless you." He then asked if he could show me something. I needed to leave but I said "sure." He pulled out of his coat pocket a little parallel Korean/English bible he had just gotten the day before at this Korean church he visited. Then he showed me that the little book he was reading was a Christian devotional book. This made my heart so full it almost burst. I smiled and asked what his name was. His name is Anthony. He asked mine as we shook hands. I was really sorry I had to leave. As I went back out on to the cold street and started walking to few blocks to where my friend was meeting me, I reveled in how God answered my prayer. 

I have learned over the years that God does not always answer us in a way we can touch or even see, that often we have to simply trust that He is really moving. The way everything worked out that night was such a testimony to the fact that God is near, that He hears our prayers and answers them in tangible ways. What I was most excited about was not that I got to feed a homeless man dinner, but that God showed up and used me because I asked Him too. I hope this encourages you to step out, not just to do things outside your comfort zone, but to step out and ask God to use you. I think He will answer you.