A Christmas Story

This “Christmas Story” is something I witnessed last summer. I call it a “Christmas Story” because, although it didn’t take place during the Christmas Season, I suspect it took place because of Christmas and all that the advent of Christmas inspires.

• • •

I had stopped at a rest stop along Interstate 25, near Ft. Collins, Colorado. It was about dusk, and I needed to use the facilities before I completed the two hour drive home.

As I parked my car, I noticed an obviously homeless man and his dog. From the look of the way he had arranged his worldly possessions, it was apparent to me that he had made his camp for the night in the lee of the rest stop that I intended to use. He displayed a sign that read “Hungry man and dog. Please Help. Thank you.”

I did my best to make sure my eyes didn’t meet his while I made my way into the rest stop. I was careful to keep my distance as much as possible as I entered the building, used the facilites, and made my way back to my car.

I have to admit, I felt a subtle resentment for the homeless man. I was thinking thoughts like “Why does he have to park himself here…why can’t he take better care of his dog…why can’t he get a job…he’s in my way.”

• • •

About the same time I had pulled into the parking area, another car had also arrived. This car was an older, beat up blue Chevrolet Monza with Montana license plates. I observed that the car was driven by a young woman, traveling with a newborn baby, two older children, and dog. I wondered what circumstances would have her traveling without the company of another adult, so far away from home, so late in the day.

This woman’s older kids (a boy of eight or nine years old, and a girl aged five or six) had also used the facilities, at about the same time that I did. The woman had waited in her car with the newborn and her dog.

I took note to make sure the homeless man didn’t bother the children as they traversed the grassy area between the parking area and the rest stop. They returned safely to their mother’s car about the same time I returned to mine. I felt some relief that ‘homeless man’ and his dog had not ‘been a problem’. After all, I am a ‘pretty good guy’ and wanted to make sure that the children remained safe from ‘homeless man’.

• • •

I continued to observe the little family as I prepared to depart the rest stop area. I was busy adjusting my seat belt and locating a radio station to take me the next stretch of my journey, when I noticed something that I will remember for a long time.

From the beat up blue car with the Montana plates, the young boy emerged and made his way back toward the homeless man. In his hands, he held a couple of slices of bread which his mother had apparently made into some sort of sandwich. He brought it to the homeless man and offered it to him. The young girl followed her older brother, carrying a small bag of dog food which she used to fill the dish of the homeless man’s dog. She also appeared to give the man a few coins.

I could see the reaction of ‘homeless man’ and his dog, appearing grateful for the gifts of the children and their mother. ‘Homeless’ nodded his head and waved at the mother, as the dog joined in with a grateful wag of its tail.

I continued to observe the mother in her car, holding her young baby and watching her older children minister to this homeless man. I noticed, for the first time, a well worn pink leather Bible on her dashboard. And I thought to myself “she really gets it”.

The sad irony did not escape me. I am ‘comfortable’, yet didn’t wish to be ‘bothered’.
She appeared to me to be ‘needy’, yet she gave. I remain humbled by this little scene. And, as I look back on this some six months later, I realize that I witnessed firsthand a small picture of what Christmas is really about.

• • •

“I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.”

• • •

“Jesus called his disciples over and said, "The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they'll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn't afford — she gave her all."


(Matt 25:35,36 and Mark 12:43-44 from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)