HOW RALPH THE HOMELESS MAN AND I MADE SOMEONE'S DAY

As I drive to work around 6:30, I've noticed an older man sitting upon a concrete wall near the curb.  He has a scraggly beard and matted hair.  He sits upright with head bowed as if asleep.

Every time I see this man I wonder if he knows his value.  I wonder if he has heard recent words of encouragement.

This morning there Ralph (I just now named him) was perched upon that raised concrete slab; head bowed, shoulders slumped...all alone.

I turned the car around and went into Einsteins Bagel just a block away.  Coffee and a warmed muffin felt the right thing to order for my soon-to-be new friend.  I was eager to see what would develop; what would God have me say to this important man in our neighborhood.

As I headed back Ralph's direction, he was gone.

Oh well, I'll meet him one day yet if God is so inclined.

So now I've got hot coffee and a muffin with nowhere for it to go.  As I'm driving I wonder what I can do with this as it needs to bless someone.  And then...

And then there it was right on my way to work....my Lowe's store!  I love this store.  I'm obsessed with going to Lowe's.  I get enthused at just making returns!

So I have this immediate idea.  I walk in with coffee and muffin in tow and see the manager and a cashier first thing standing at a register.  They Good morning me and then I Good morning them back.  It was my next few sentences that were well.....well they were just good.

I had one coffee and one muffin and two candidates which means I may be about to honor one and offend the other.  But I sized up the moment and went for it.  I figure the manager would be honored that I honored his employee.

Hey, good morning. (That was me saying that.)  I am here this morning to honor the Employee of the Day, and you young lady are the one!  Her boss immediately praised her and she expressed how she always needed a coffee and a muffin.

See, the homeless man, while important blessed another in the process by simply not being where he should have been.  And....the homeless man and I gave a boss an opportunity to praise an employee when such wasn't on his docket.  We just created an Employee of the Day award...that homeless Ralph and me.