“This evening as I was leaving Best Buy, I noticed this man going through the garbage can outside of the store. As I walked to my car, I watched him as he reached in the garbage can, pulled out fast food bags, and inspected all that was in them. He did this for several minutes. He would find a few fries in one bag and a bite or two of a hamburger in another bag. You could see the hamburger wrapper by his knee where he was placing the food items he’d found.

He never bothered anyone or tried to stop and beg for money as people entered and left the store. After he went through the entire trash can, he neatly cleaned up the area and wrapped up the food he found in the dirty hamburger wrapper. My heart hurt for him. I am not someone who just hands out money or even helps homeless people because so many are not truly homeless. I guess I’ve never seen someone actually go through a garbage can to try to find food to eat.

I knew I had to help him. I got out of my car and asked him if I could buy him something to eat. He told me he would appreciate anything I could get him. He was on a bike and I told him if he’d follow me I’d buy him a meal at the fast-food place around the block. He followed me and I bought him the biggest meal they had on the menu. The only request he gave me for his order was a big glass of sweet tea to go with his meal!

When I brought him his food, he was so thankful. He told me his name was Steve and he’d been homeless ever since his sister died last September. He was trying to get off the streets but it was so hard. I told him God loved him and I would pray for him. He told me again how much he appreciated the meal.

When I got back in my car, I drove off with such a heaviness in my heart for this man. I drove down the road and felt compelled to go back to help this man. When I came back, he had finished his meal and was riding away. I pulled up beside him and asked him if there was any way I could help him. He told me not really. He never asked me for money.

I asked him if I could buy him a few meals and put it on a gift card for him. He told me that it would be so kind. I drove to McDonald’s, bought him some meals, and gave him a gift card. He broke down crying. He told me he prayed for me today! I wasn’t sure what he meant. I was assuming he was praying for me for what I did for him, so I thanked him. He said, ‘No, you don’t understand.

I begged to God to send someone to get me a hot lunch today…and he sent you!’ I was at a loss for words… I couldn’t say anything! I hadn’t planned on praying for a hot lunch today! I don’t think I’ve ever prayed anything like that! I always pray over my food, but I’ve never prayed for an expected dinner! I’ve never worried about not being able to eat.

My eyes welled up with tears. Oh my… How fortunate I am. Maybe God used me to answer this man’s plea, to show him that He cares about him and understands what he’s going through! But maybe God used this man to teach me how fortunate I am and how much I take for granted. His eyes welled up with tears. He informed me he knew he was going to die and that he was ready.

He was sick of being in pain and thought he’d be better off dead because this was no way to live. I stayed and supported him for a few moments, fighting back tears. My prayer is that I demonstrated Jesus’ love to him today, and that anything I said offered him hope. Everyone, you see, has a story. I now understand Steve’s tale. He ended up touching me today because I felt obliged to help him.

I knew I had done what God wanted me to do when I left him. Today, God put him in my way. I’m sure he did! I’ve never been so moved to assist someone as I did tonight. I was reminded once more of how fortunate I am. I have transportation, a roof over my head, clean clothes, money to buy a hot meal, running water, power, my health, a job, family, and friends.

God sometimes sends events our way to remind us of how fortunate we are. Please remember Steve in your prayers if you’ve read this far. Yes, I have been blessed; God has been very kind to me! His ideas about you and me are priceless. I can’t count them since there isn’t enough time, so I’ll simply thank Him for being so generous. God has been very gracious! “I’ve been fortunate!”