Monday, February 4, 2013

5 Minutes w/ Steve

This past Friday, I went to out of my office to the gas station to get a snack.  On my way, I thought I'd check in w/ my buddy Steve (at the bus stop).

He was getting his sleeping bag ready and so I offered to help him carry it to the bench.  We sat and we talked.  I started off with the normal, "How you doing, Steve?"

He gave me the normal, "I'm doing fine."

But then he threw me a curve ball.  He then said, "How are you?"

And I was stunned.  Caught off guard a little.

"I'm a little hungry," I said.

"Well, at least you're honest," he chuckles.

...and I feel like an idiot.  I mean I have a little case of the muchies and I go straight for the convenience store.  This guy...Steve...who knows when's the last time he ate.  (I'm an idiot) I ask him if he needs anything, but he says no.

I show him a picture of my family...of my wife and two girls.  He smiled and told me about his family in Texas.  So I ask him if he ever wants to get back there.  If he wants to see his family again.

"Tornadoes. No thank you.  Cold weather.  No thanks."

...and again I am just amazed at how self centered I am.  Assuming that this man wants or would want the things that I want.  Or because this man doesn't have the things that I would want, I assume he isn't happy.

He reads to me a passage from Ecclesiastes 3 KJV.  The gist of this passage is that there is a time for everything.  What I get from him is that he is content with what he has in this season of his life.

I tell him I gotta get going and to let me know if he needs anything.

He tells me I'm a good man.

...and you know what?  That meant something to me.

That day, Steve gave me something.
(Thanks, Steve.)