Tuesday, December 18, 2001

REWARDS

"Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple--truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward." Matthew 10:40-42

One day, visiting at a friend's, our conversation was interrupted by a carload of Native Americans pulling into her yard. A woman leaned out her window and waved a canteen at us. "We're out of water, can we get some from you?"

My friend immediately got up from her chair and retrieved the canteen and started back to the house to fill it. The woman leaned out the window again and asked, "Can my little boy use your bathroom?" Without even a second's hesitation, my friend said, "Sure. Follow me!"

At that, every door of the car opened, and half a dozen people, from grandmother to little guy, got out of the car and stretched and started walking around the yard. The little boy followed my friend into the house, leaving me sitting in my yard chair, wondering what on earth was going on.

You see, I was raised in the city. People don't just stop their cars in your driveway and ask for water and the use of your bathroom in the city. You go to a gas station or a restaurant for these things. And strangers don't wander through your yard (at least they didn't in my childhood neighborhood they certainly do today!). The thought of somebody I didn't know coming into my home made me very uneasy. And I was amazed that it didn't bother my friend. I sat there, very ill at ease, watching these strangers seeming to make themselves at home in my friend's yard, not knowing what to say to them, so looking away.

As if all this were not enough, when the little boy came back outside, the woman asked if the grandmother could use the bathroom also! That was about the last straw to me.

When the crowd had all had a long drink of water and the canteens were refilled, they were on their way with many thanks. They had had a long day of fun, but ran out of water and couldn't find any place to stop along the way. My friend was rewarded with smiles and blessings, and even I was included in the general well wishes. As the car disappeared down the road, I said to my friend, "Didn't it bother you, these strangers in your home?" She looked at me as though I were a little crazy and said, "No. I have little kids. I know what it is to be on the road and have one of them need to use a rest room, and nothing is in sight. Besides, don't you know that when entertaining strangers, you may be caring for angels without knowing it?" Yes, I had heard that scripture; but I'd never thought that angels might look dusty, sweaty and tired. But I learned that day that for some people, being kind is first nature. And my friend was one of them.

Sandra Herrmann

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