51: Bearer of Hope
But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.
I REMEMBER A VISIT MY FATHER and I made years ago to a man named Percy.
My father always visited Percy in late December, and I accompanied him several times. I had mixed emotions about these visits. Percy was a bit of a mystery to me and the local residents. Yet these winter visits gave me an opportunity to see how he lived.
One visit stands out in my mind. The night before, new snow had blanketed our valley. Then the weather had turned clear and cold. With a bag full of groceries, Dad and I waded through knee-deep snowdrifts to reach Percy’s small tarpapered shack where a thin wisp of smoke climbed straight up from the chimney.
Following our knock on the door, Percy gruffly welcomed us. We entered a one-room house that had known better days. The air had a mixed smell of a hardwood fire in the stove and body odor.
Dad set the bag of groceries on a sticky, oilcloth-covered table near where Percy invited us to sit. Following a discreet inspection of the chair assigned to me, I carefully sat down, making certain that I did not touch that gross tablecloth. Cleanliness was not one of Percy’s virtues.
Percy and Dad made small talk about the recent turn in the weather, whether there would be enough wood to last the winter, and other topics. I wasn’t paying much attention because I was too busy inspecting this old man’s living quarters.
After the topics had been well covered, Dad said, “Christmas is here again, Percy, and our family just wanted you to have a few groceries as our gift to you. You know, Percy, Christmas is important to us because of the birth of Christ.”
This particular year something strange happened. I watched a single tear slide down Percy’s face and into his thick bushy beard. He quickly brushed it away with a dirty hand as he mumbled thanks. As we rose to leave, Percy touched my father’s arm and said, “Don, you are a bearer of hope.”
That scene will stay with me forever, because that moment I was taught a great lesson: God softens grizzled old hearts through the kind acts of His people.
Questions
- The theme behind this personal story is generosity. Who is God asking you to be generous to this Christmas?
- As a young boy, I was amazed that Percy showed emotion when Dad shared with him about Jesus. Is there someone like Percy who has a grizzled old heart, at least from your perspective, to whom you could show kindness?
- Is there a story from your childhood that has shaped you? Consider writing your story and sharing it with others.