The Company of Angels: A Christmas Story
December 19, 2009
Yesterday, an elderly man entered Wesley House and wanted to talk to “the lady on TV”. My staff came and got me…I’d just been on television sharing the work of Wesley House and had shared a story or two. I assumed that was what he was referring to.
The gentleman had a difficult time speaking; he’d suffered a stroke and was walking with a cane. Well, I was ready to open my heart to him and give him anything I could to help him have a more comfortable quality of life when he said, “I want to give you a donation”.
As I listened, I learned that he had been very sick and couldn’t pay his bills for a while. He tucked his head and lowered his voice as he shared that he had, actually, been homeless for 28 days and lived through “shelter-life” as best he could. This had really made an impression on his life as he shared horror stories with me of his stay in various shelters…that’s another story.
A member of his family learned of his circumstances and saw fit to help this old gentleman pull out of the desperate situation that he had found himself in. This nephew had learned through the grapevine of his uncle’s hardships…he had not been asked to help, he just saw need and stepped in and took care of him.
As the old veteran spoke, it was clear that he was having a hard time expressing his feelings because he had NEVER had to ask for help before. He’d served his country and been in the veteran hospital in Jackson for a time with heart surgery and recovery…now he was back on his feet, although, it was clear that he still had health issues.
So, why was he here and why had he had come so far just to give a donation to Wesley House when, clearly, it was hard for him to get out and travel? He explained that he’d heard me speak of the lady who was very sick with cancer and had been cold for over a month because she couldn’t afford to pay for heating for herself and her two children. It was at this point that he pulled out his wallet and reached for two, one hundred dollar bills. His large, but fragile hands shook as he gave his donation. He looked up at me with wet eyes and said, “Will she really get this?” I looked at him with all of the confidence I could muster and said, “She will get it TODAY!” And she did.
I hugged the gentleman and asked him to please sign the donation book…I really wanted to know where he lived in case he ever needed anything. He could barely sign his name and the county that he was from. He hugged me and I asked if he had a home now. He smiled and said, “I’m blessed! I have a trailer and heat. I just wanted to help someone else this Christmas.”
I will never forget that man. I remember that the entire time I spoke with him, all I could think about was that you just never know when you are in the company of angels…I think that I was, and that precious old gentleman brought the real Spirit of Christmas to me this year.
So, from our house to your house:
Merry Christmas, Everyone!
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great post, thanks for sharing