Fireworks

He walked up to my fireworks stand one evening closing in on the fourth of July. I have known him for a few years now. He’s been a blessing in a lot of different ways...although he always does it quietly. He doesn’t need recognition or attention. He just wants to help...no strings attached. The world needs more people like that. 

He’s been paying the water bill at House of the Harvest every month since we opened. I’ve never paid a dime on it.  I never asked him to. He never came to me to talk about it. I would just get the bill in the P.O. Box once a month and it would say something like -240.00. Then it would dwindle down over the next several months and I would get it again and it would read -240.00. I had a feeling it was him. At one point a few years ago I asked him about it. He denied any knowledge of it. Said something to the effect of, “I reckon the Lord knows who is paying that bill.” I reckon He does. And appreciates it. 

We stood there in the fireworks stand window talking. It wasn’t the first time we had stood in that parking lot getting to know each other a little better. I stopped by there one morning to take out the trash and he pulled in to unload a truck full of baby formula and diapers and things like that. He said, “I know this stuff is expensive, so I just wanted to get it to someone who might need it. I know you can handle that.” 

“Absolutely I can. And I will.” 

This time wasn’t much different. He was coming by to support. Every time he comes by it is to support. He bought some fireworks for the grandkids. I imagine he is past the age to care about fireworks. He is at the perfect age to care about grandkids. While he was there, he shared with me a story about one of his grandkids. It moved him to tears talking about her, some of their challenges, and how God is giving them what they need. There was a whole lot of love for that child in his words, in his eyes, in his heart. 

I can totally relate. I remember the pain when my son was trying to talk and we couldn’t understand. I remember how he would get frustrated because we kept trying to understand and couldn’t. I remember the moments when you just acted like you knew what he was saying because you just wanted him to have a break from being frustrated like that. Lots of tears. And it’s hard to talk about to another person. 

But he stood there that night in that window and chose to talk to me about it. And that is special. In that moment, I got to see a glimpse of his heart and his life. And I just think we all need to see more of that in each other. Maybe if we all spoke like that, we would all understand each other a little better. And I am not a betting man, but if I was, I would bet that more moments like that would change things. Lots of things. 

Father, this morning I want to pray for my friend. His family. His sweet grandchild. You know what they need and you know how to give it. I just want You to let them know that I am thinking about them and coming to You because You can do way more for them than I ever could. And I want to pray for the rest of us to have hearts that are pure and clean, more like Jesus, and to share them with the world. I want to live in that place. 

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:9-10