what is a life worth?

who decides?
who says who has value and who does not...

let me tell you a story of a man who was in my life for a season....
who passed away
last week....
unnoticed...
asleep in his sleeping bag under a bush..
but home in heaven a few
days before being found...
it is a story of a man who had nothing and shared everything he had and more...
who believed God had blessed him and continued to bless him in his daily life...



the first time I saw him, he was sitting on the asphalt on a piece of cardboard to keep the morning dew from soaking his butt, leaning up against the concession stand for baseball or softball at the park near my home... tired threadbare jeans, tennis shoes that at one time had been white, a blue almost turtle neck tee shirt...his hair was short, but nappy... to me it needed a trim in a big way.... who am i to decide? his clothes were clean and he was reading a book... I was surprised! hmmm homeless people don't read? I was convicted in that moment... His back pack, sleeping bag and other random belongings lay beside him. He glanced up at me as i passed... I am sure my method of observations ( I have a friend that is an engineer) were boring holes in his head... possibly his entire being. But Lord oh Lord in his eyes he held the world... they twinkled in spite of his circumstance.... his gaze stopped the unruly thoughts that were spinning in my mind and caused me to really look at him.... who am i to decide... He smiled like we were old friends, nodded his head and said good morning.... I smiled back and said good morning also... wondered to myself if I would be so pleasant if I were he....

I had no idea it was the start of a friendship - a friendship given to me by God ....

the next morning he was at the picnic table trimming his beard. I wondered if he had heard my thoughts ....I was kinda embarrassed for thinking such petty things.. he held a small mirror in his hand and as i discovered later was starting his morning ritual... I sauntered toward the picnic table while I thought maintaining an air of "only out for my walk" kind -of- walk...
Sometimes, I am the idiot.... :-)

Morning salutations exchanged and off I went...

finally we introduced ourselves.... Floyd Cameron... some people called him Sunshine cause he was always smiling and happy... he did not like that name... please call him Floyd... I asked him why he wouldn't just correct the people... he smiled like the sun and I didn't ask again... He is sunshine... but his name is Floyd.

why sunshine?
there is a christian high school next to the park... 30 kids contributed their own funds toward a new back pack and winter jacket and boots. 30 is not a random number! I read every signature on the card... Each kid wrote his own words of appreciation and gratitude for Floyd's support of their baseball games... he never missed a game! he knew all the kids by name and would cheer them on, encourage them to excel on off days... jump up and down when they won... galvanize them when they lost... parents? any questions? who are we to decide?


Thinking Floyd might be hungry and it was my day off I went home to cook up a storm and feed my new "project." Humph! God had a purpose in mind on this man and I, but feeding him was not it...

I made some kind of pasta dish, my thinking was that it would go further and he could snack all day... imagine my surprise when delivering the freshly cooked food, he thanked me... apologized for not liking pasta... but wondered if he could give it to someone he knew would love it and needed it more than he did...WOW! It was the first time he asked to give away my donations, but certainly not the last... in the rainy winter I went to the thrift store and bought a below freezing water proof sleeping bag... he gave it to a family he knew outside that night... He shared his books, his meals, his laughter, his stories of God. He was quick to thank the Lord for all his blessings... He knew Moms and babies, he watched over random kids when unsavory types were lurking about. He even gave away chocolate chip cookies I baked just for him.... What the heck! I quickly discovered peanut butter was his favorite.. He never ever even shared one of those...
oh happy me!

to be continued.....