Original Entry Date: September 9, 2017
Written by: Jonathan Stufft
I had passed by the house so I could turn around to find better parking for my truck and trailer. The street was a busy one, so I turned just around a corner and parked along a side street. I crossed the busy street to greet our client...
As I talked with the client, I noticed that the person who lived in the house on the corner where I parked had cautiously peeked out and looked at my trailer loaded with fresh produce.
She then ducked back inside. I wrapped up getting fresh food to our client and headed back across the street to my truck. It was then that I felt the nudge.
It isn’t uncommon for neighbors to check us out when we come rolling through a neighborhood giving away food. However, those who are interested usually tend to linger and give us an opportunity to engage them. That wasn’t the case with this person, but something inside me nudged me to go knock on her door.
I was greeted with a kind, but nervous, smile. I introduced myself and explained what we do. Morgan, the woman I had just met, looked at me and said, “Free?! It’s all free?!” I assured her that the produce was free.
She looked at me and I could see that tears were welling up in her eyes. She said, “Oh my! I am going to cry.” I smiled, knowing that knocking on her door had not been my own choice. She continued, “My husband just got laid off. He’s out today mowing grass and doing some odd jobs to try to make a little money.”
I knew this was another case of God-timing.
I showed her the paperwork, and asked her how many people were in her household. “Us and our three kids,” she replied.
“Oh, I have five in my house too, so I know you will need plenty,” I replied.
“Oh yeah. Three teenagers. Boys.” she answered.
“Oh, then you need a LOT of food! I dread when I will have teenagers to feed. I can barely keep up with my eight-year-old son!” I shared. One of her sons, Orion, came out on the porch and she asked him to help me bring in the food. He very willingly helped me gather the food, and I could see the excitement in his eyes as we grabbed the things he liked the most – apples, bread, eggs.
A while after I had left their home and made several other deliveries, it just so happened that I was turning onto a street where I saw Orion running with one of his friends. His eyes lit up when he saw my truck again, and he flailed his arm in a gigantic sweeping wave, over and over. I gave him a smile and a wave as we went down the street in the same direction.
God-timing again.
I got stopped at a traffic light, and he and his friend caught up to me as they ran. He passed my truck, waving with the same exuberant joy, over and over. He yelled out, “Thank you!” when he passed my open window.
This time, the tears welled up in my eyes.