John

I saw John today.  He's 50, a few years younger than me, and, until recently, he worked at Walmart.  

I met John a couple of years ago.  As I was leaving the store that day, he was sitting on a bench and called out, "I like your shirt."  I smiled.  It was a Naval Academy shirt, and he told me about his high school friend who had gone to the Naval Academy and about his own appreciation for our military.  We also talked about news and politics.

But what I remember most about that first conversation was John saying, "You're better than me."  I told him that wasn't so, and that's when I knew we were going to be friends.

We had many conversations after that.  John liked to talk about politics, how great this country had been, Fox News, and once about Star Wars.  Sometimes, I'd see John sitting on that bench, resting as he waited for the bus.  If he wasn't sitting, he was pushing a cart.  I think he worked as a stocker, but he also needed that cart for support, since he was disabled.  

Today, as I pulled into the parking lot, John was waiting outside at the bus stop.  I hadn't seen him for awhile, so I drove over and got out of the car.  He told me that he'd been fired a few months prior - can't remember if he said he was now getting disability or unemployment funds.  

Even though it was cold, John had short pants on and I saw how swollen his calves were in relation to his body.  I knew he had trouble walking, but had never seen his legs before.  

While we were talking, the bus drove up.  John told me again that I was special to him.  I gave him a little cash from my wallet,  and told him to find a good church.  He said that he was a Christian, but nothing about a church.  We wished each other Merry Christmas, and he got on the bus.

I had tears driving home...and regret that I hadn't given John more, that I didn't hug him or offer him a ride.  Because of sin, we're all broken bodies in a broken world.  None of us is any better or special than anyone else - we're all "Someone whom Christ died for."