Knock On The Door

I think growing up here in the United States is a privilege for most people. Of course there are draw backs for some: there is poverty, there are struggles, but in general for most people life is pretty good. One doesn't have to fight off some strange disease that you get from drinking from the same mud puddle that your neighbor washed his clothes in, or where the neighborhood kids run through, or where the local wildlife, well you know... You have clean water, food and shelter.

Yesterday was Sunday and the family was over for what has become our traditional Sunday night dinner together. It's one of the best things Dawn and I started to do as our kids have gotten older. It was after dinner, all of us were hanging out in the living room, I think a football game was on the TV but no one was really watching. We were just hanging out. Tea had been brewed, the preview of the Christmas cookies had made their way out from hiding. Then out of nowhere we heard a knock at the front door.

"It's Sunday evening," I thought, "who's ringing the bell at 6:00 pm on a Sunday evening?" I briefly surmised that it might be UPS making a Christmas delivery. When my senses caught up with me and realized it couldn't be, I went to answer the door.

In the winter the dead bolt on our front door sticks so I shoved my shoulder into the door, turned the latch to release the deadbolt and opened the door. There stood a young man, in his late twenties, maybe early thirties, clean cut, wearing a winter coat and gloves. There's a car running on the road in front of the house. My mind races through the Rolodex of faces to try and place this stranger. Do I know this guy? Is he someone I should know and the Rolodex isn't working?

The young man introduced himself as Tim and says he lived in town, right on the main drag across the street from one of the local car dealers (not the best of residential locations). He was laid off three weeks ago and was looking for some work to earn some money to buy his kids Christmas presents. He asked if he could shovel our driveway. Unfortunately, the driveway that needed shoveling wasn't mine. It belonged to my neighbor and he'd have to have good luck to get in touch with him because he never answers his door for anyone! I wished him luck and a Merry Christmas and off he went.

I closed the door, shoved my shoulder back into it and turned the latch to lock it. I returned to the warmth of my living room where my children and my granddaughter played on the floor with my wife. Then and only then I started to think,"What did I just do? Did I just close the door on the Christmas Spirit? Did I just close the door on Jesus? Was this guy really who he said he was? Was he really just trying to earn money to but presents for his kids, or was he really looking to generate cash to purchase booze or worse? Who am I to judge his motives? Who am I to make a determination as to this guy's intent. Should I have just reached into my wallet and pulled out some cash? Should I have given him a business card and made him clean my downtown office?" The questions kept racing through my head.

I looked out of the side window after this 30 second encounter. I saw his car on Main Street, working its way from house to house. I could still have run out there in my boots but it was cold, and my family was there. Was I just making excuses?

It's been less than 24 hours since that knock on the door and I am still wondering if I missed it. If I walked away from an opportunity to meet Jesus; to "do unto one of the least of these, my brothers." I've been thinking that if this was a moment, that it will come back around. Maybe, I need to take a ride past that local car dealers to see if I can locate a place where some little family might be living; a family who needs some Christmas joy, love and compassion. And maybe just maybe I'll run into Tim again. And maybe this time I might think faster on my feet and not miss the moment.