A Gift with Huge Returns

by: Cheryl Ginnings

He was hiding. . .

There he was. He appeared to be hiding behind the store as he peeked around the corner. I did not notice him at first. He was so shabby-looking. Was he watching for something or someone? After glancing around the side of the building, he would squat down and sit on the concrete parking lot.

He sat quietly beside the dumpster from the store. The lid was open and propped up with a stick or something. I had never seen anyone do that. Maybe that was a shelter for him.

A big black plastic bag seemed full of lots of stuff. I wondered if he was homeless with the bag full of his belongings. Or was he picking up trash along the way to turn in the recycle program for money?

It was hard to know if he was hiding. Another person in a truck further back in the parking lot also seemed to notice this man. He saw that something was not quite right. He waited in the car, watching him. Could he have dropped his wife off in the store, or was he waiting to see what this young man would be doing?

It was beginning to drizzle. The temperatures were dropping. He looked cold. I noticed that he was unshaven for a while and not dressed warmly enough for the night. His shirt was hanging out of his pants carelessly. He looked to be without a coat. It was too cold for short sleeves. Maybe he did not have clothes, I wondered.

The store was full of people going in and out. Some of the cars were dropping off bags of clothing, games, toys, and some furniture that needed repair. He must have been eyeing the people dropping off lots of stuff at the thrift store. Maybe he was looking for an opportunity to ask someone for help.

A woman had driven her car up to the donation box and was sifting through things she wanted. There were sacks and broken clothes boxes strewn around the vehicle. That did not seem right, but some people believe it is just there for them!

Spring had been colder than usual this year.  It rained more, and people tended to stay home when the weather was messy. Spring was the season that people seemed to clean out their garages and basements. Many found things they did not need.

Since spring was always busy cleaning out our home, that must be where someone coined the phrase "Spring cleaning." Holidays were just a short time ago when most received gifts and items replacing their older models.

So many things add to the clutter at home and outdoors.

My mind was wandering. . . so I quickly turned my thoughts back to this young man. I was sad for him.

Driving away . . .

It was time to be heading home, but the thoughts of someone being so cold made my mind go back to his needs.

It dawned on me that my husband had lost about fifty pounds in the past few months. He might have some clothes that fit this man.

As I drove away from the store, I made up my mind to see if there was anything he did not need right now that I could bring back to this man.

Before I realized it, I was driving into the garage. I was home. I knew it was getting late in the afternoon, and the young man might leave. . . I had to hurry back.

As I entered the house, I saw my husband in the kitchen. He had surprised me by cooking some of the fish he had caught last weekend. Yummy.

Since I knew it would take a while to get the clothes, I asked him about gathering up some clothes. I explained to the cold young man who did not seem to have enough clothes.

His heart was touched, as I knew it would be. He understood the need to hurry.

We have always been a team. No matter what we were doing, we did it together. As we went to the closet to look at his clothes, I spotted a nice warm jacket that he could not wear. There were a few pants and shirts that looked warm. We found a sweater and two sweatshirts and sweatpants.

It was getting to be forty-five minutes since I left the store. I knew that he was probably hungry, so we fixed a plate of food and put foil over it to keep it warm.

As we were about to leave the house, I realized that he had a dog. Since dog food was in the garage, I picked up an empty can and filled it with food to feed his dog.

Heading back . . .

My husband said he would drive with me, so that was easy. In less than five minutes, we were back at the storefront. It looked like people were getting ready to close. I hope we find him as we look around the side of the building.

At first, I did not notice him. I was afraid he had left. My heart slumped a little as I thought I was too late. Maybe someone else had seen him and had compassion for him.

I saw the dog first. He was on a leash tied to something close to the dumpster. Maybe I can find him on the other side of that dumpster. My husband drove slowly around the store in an alley where the dog was seen.

He was there! I am so glad! It may seem silly, but my heart was so touched by the site of this young man in the shadows.

Suddenly . . .

My eyes spotted him just then. At the same time, my husband saw the shadow and asked if he was the same man. It was!

When he spotted us, he must have thought he was in trouble. He started picking up all the bags and the little tent he held over his head. He did not have much, but he was afraid of being runoff.

My husband got out of the car first and went to the back seat to get the food first. He also picked up the can that had dog food in it. The dog had to be hungry, is this stranger was hungry.

Since I had been a public-school teacher most of my life, I knew many people who did not have a lot of earthly belongings. It did not scare me to meet this stranger, but my husband was very protective.

He warned me that he might have a gun or knife and could do me harm, so I was to stay in the car until he found out the man's circumstances.

It was evident that this man was not one to harm someone, but he might be on drugs. If he was, and my husband approached him, what reaction would he have?

The store was closed, and the lights were getting dim as I sat and waited for him to talk to him first.

As my husband approached the man, you could hear him say he was leaving. He did not want to be in trouble, and he was scared too.

The car's headlights were bright enough to see that this man responded to my husband as he quietly approached him. He asked him if he was hungry. This news disarmed the man, and he responded quickly that he was hungry.

The rain had slowed to a soft mist that seemed enjoyable. But to stay outside did not seem to be the place that most people would want to visit shortly after the winter months. The weather was unpredictable.

So many seem to live outdoors under the bridges or overpasses. I did not know where he would stay.

He seemed to look embarrassed as my husband asked him if he had warm clothes. He did not have much, and the plastic bag was the total of all his belongings.

Can it be?

This young man's response was genuine. It was apparent he was thankful that we came back. His dog was also grateful since he had already eaten half of the food can we brought.

Looking closely at the man, I realized that he had been one of my students a few years ago. He had grown up in our town. I knew him! How did he end up like this?

I was so surprised that he had let himself go. He did not seem to be the same person.

As I jumped out of the car with the rest of the box of clothes we had in the car, I called his name. The sad look in his eyes showed he was shocked to see me. I had always loved this young man.

I hugged him and asked him why he was outside like this. His reply made me sad. He had been married only a short time to a lady who left him at night and took all his money. He was kicked out of the apartment they lived in, and he had been wandering around for a couple of months just trying to stay alive. He had no other family to turn to.

By this time, my husband got more interested in his circumstances and butted in by asking him to come home with us! He quickly agreed.

After we got home, the dog slept on the back porch with our dog. They seemed to get along just fine.

The young man got a hot bath and warm cocoa to help him relax. We three sat in front of friendly fire in the fireplace.

My husband had invited him home with us after he recognized we were acquainted. We three had such a sweet visit that night. Before long, he was yawning. It seemed time to head to our rooms for a snuggle under the warm blankets.

Who would have imagined that taking a box of clothes to give away could bring us such a blessing? We felt grateful to add to someone else's life.

The act of giving seems to bless everyone!

This had been a delightful evening. After food, relaxation, and having a guest in our extra room, we said together, "All is well."