Loving Unconditionally

"I choose the poverty of our poor people. But I am grateful to receive (the Nobel) in the name of the hungry, the naked, the homeless, of the crippled, of the blind, of the lepers, of all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared-for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the society and are shunned by everyone." Mother Teresa

An interesting thing happened to me the other day. Chuck and I went to take Joseph to the Dollar store on the way home from church. While he went in we went to the post office, then returned to retrieve him. As he was getting into the car, a man stopped him. The man was barely walking, he was quite disfigured and looked very sickly. I actually thought he was a homeless man. The whole time he was talking to Joseph, I kept thinking about how he could be Jesus in disguise. I guess because I have read so many of Mother Teresa's writings and how she could always love the lepers, the homeless, the throwaway people because she looked past them and saw only Jesus. I wish I was more like Jesus.

Finally Joseph opened my door on the passenger side and asked if I could understand this man. All I could figure out that he was saying was something about a ride and having had cancer surgery. Then I thought he was asking for money.

Anyways, we made room for him in our truck and Joseph got in too. We asked him to tell us where to go and he did, then he put four dollars on the console in the middle of the front seat and Chuck said no you keep it!

We arrived at his house, as he was getting out, Joseph grabbed his bags, hopped out and carried them to the door for the man. I was thinking how repulsive this guy looked and how he is probably rejected because of it. But years ago he was a young man and probably never thought his life would turn out the way it did. I almost felt as if I were in a trance or something. All I could think of is ... this could be Jesus in disguise. I guess I kept remembering all the things I had read about Mother Teresa and how she said she could look past a person's appearance and see Jesus and she would hug them and take them home with her.

I know God brought this man in our lives to teach me something about myself, perhaps about unconditional love, or maybe there is something even beyond that!? I am always serving, but Mother Teresa never thought twice about picking someone up off the street and taking them home, giving them a bath, picking worms out of their body, but me? EEKKK! I couldn't do it, but the thing is, I wish I could. I wish I had a gift of serving like that. I know God had a purpose in bringing this man into our path, He has taught me something about myself, but is there something else I need to learn?