Seeing them up the road as I rode my bicycle, my mind flashed back to four years prior.
On that day…an oversized car crept into the nearly abandoned park. Distracted from my early morning on-the-go Bible study, I watched as the driver sprang from his well-worn ride.
He looked a little worn himself.
He quickly went from trash can to trash can searching for aluminum pop cans. Their ten cent deposit, which is a nuisance to many people, was the can man’s mission.
I thought–“I bet he lives in his car.” When he approached me, I assumed he wanted money.
The can man plowed right into telling me his story–he was excited. He was collecting the cans for his kid’s college education—one dime at a time: “My kids are going to college; they’re definitely going to college.” His next words left me hanging from the gallows of my condemning thoughts: “I don’t care what people think.”
…my mind then popped back, focusing on the two, looked-the-can-man-part men just ahead. I could have whizzed by semi-unnoticed. Except? Except I was hearing a voice inside; the Holy Spirit saying: “Stop.”
I smiled at them: “How are you guys doing?” I wish I could claim my kinder reaction was simply because I’ve grown as a Christian.
I wish…
Proverbs 27 had crossed into my mental view. The seventh verse says: “The full soul despises a honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.”
Here’s the can-man version: “If you have enough money, returnable cans are trash; but if you’re really broke, you’re seeing a bunch of dimes on the ground—maybe your next meal.”
I know because I already had two cans. They weren’t my next meal…but not far from it.
Jesus said “Stop judging by mere appearance.”
On that day…an oversized car crept into the nearly abandoned park. Distracted from my early morning on-the-go Bible study, I watched as the driver sprang from his well-worn ride.
He looked a little worn himself.
He quickly went from trash can to trash can searching for aluminum pop cans. Their ten cent deposit, which is a nuisance to many people, was the can man’s mission.
I thought–“I bet he lives in his car.” When he approached me, I assumed he wanted money.
The can man plowed right into telling me his story–he was excited. He was collecting the cans for his kid’s college education—one dime at a time: “My kids are going to college; they’re definitely going to college.” His next words left me hanging from the gallows of my condemning thoughts: “I don’t care what people think.”
…my mind then popped back, focusing on the two, looked-the-can-man-part men just ahead. I could have whizzed by semi-unnoticed. Except? Except I was hearing a voice inside; the Holy Spirit saying: “Stop.”
I smiled at them: “How are you guys doing?” I wish I could claim my kinder reaction was simply because I’ve grown as a Christian.
I wish…
Proverbs 27 had crossed into my mental view. The seventh verse says: “The full soul despises a honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.”
Here’s the can-man version: “If you have enough money, returnable cans are trash; but if you’re really broke, you’re seeing a bunch of dimes on the ground—maybe your next meal.”
I know because I already had two cans. They weren’t my next meal…but not far from it.
Jesus said “Stop judging by mere appearance.”
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