It was saturday and I was going into my favorite Record Store -
At the door was a man of the streets named Ben. You know Ben don't you… He is that guy that pan handles outside of the grocery store - or restaurant - or department store - until security is alerted and he is shooed away. Ben asked me for some spare change. That was refreshing because the last time I was asked for money on the streets, the man asked for a thousand dollars - you got it - a thousand bucks! Ben just wanted some change. I told him that I had no money on me but would buy him lunch across the parking lot at the Burger King. "Are you hungry?" I asked. "Sure" he said "I'll take a whopper and large coffee." So we crossed the parking log and he hit up about 5 people in and out of the fast food restaurant for more change. Got to give it to him, he didn't miss a chance to ask for money. We talked - he was from Memphis - he was a Christian as was his mamma - and lived in public housing and the most he made asking people for money was twenty dollars a day. Ben didn't talk much and I could tell he was not comfortable sitting with me. He finished long before I did and said thanks and got up and left the restaurant. It wasn't much, I was hungry and I could see in Ben's eyes that he was hungry. We shared a moment in time in each of our lives and probably will never do it again. I smiled as I finished my meal alone… Ben had been around a while, he knew the game. He really wanted cash - but took the food a lunch time. We talked - about life - about God - about music. and we parted ways. today I was able to do what I am called to do… Reflecting the love of Christ into the hearts of men. Take time to spend a moment with the BEN that is in your world. Thank you for supporting TPN and giving us the financial support that allows us to take people like Ben to lunch.
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JR DaviswalTActivists for homeless - inmates and the poor of this world.
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