A Thrift Store Christmas Story

 "I worked in our Phillipsburg thrift store last Saturday.  Thankfully we were pretty busy with customers, and kind people dropping off donations.  One woman in particular was very generous with her donations of her deceased husband’s clothing.  It was obvious that she was lonely and could use a little compassionate listening.  Our volunteer Jean got busy putting out the donations immediately.   Shortly after, and while she was looking at  our merchandise, a young man, obviously ill came in and asked for Sister.  He showed me her business card and said he was in the week before brought by a Lutheran minister; Sister gave him food and a warm jacket.  He showed me his boots which had holes in the bottoms.  He said he didn’t have any money for another pair, but would come back on Monday to see Sister.  I asked where he was staying and since we don’t have any shelters in Phillipsburg, he said he was staying at the homeless shelter in Easton, a walk of maybe 3 miles from the store.  I told him to go into the men’s shoe area and see if there were any shoes there that fit him.  While he was trying on a pair of almost new sneakers, the woman who lost her husband was watching.  They fit and I said he could take them, that I would square it with Sister, (he didn’t want me to get into trouble).  I’m glad he came Saturday since it snowed here last night.   After he left, the woman came up to me crying  gently and told me they were her husband’s sneakers and he would have been very happy that someone who needed them so badly got them.  She offered to pay for them too, but I declined her offer.

So that night, I prayed for them both; that she would find solace in her grief, and that he would find his way out of his situation."