An Angel in Disguise

I am fairly confident that L.H. is an angel in disguise.

L.H. is an incredibly sweet old man who walks with a walker and relies on a forearm crutch for balance when standing without his walker.  He is a U.S. war veteran, but has a mild demeanor that reminds one more of Santa Claus than a seasoned soldier.  He also happens to be homeless.
I have had the privilege of meeting L.H. two times in my life.  My wife has seen him an additional time or two.  We’ve spoken about him at length after each encounter with him.

When I first met L.H. he was struggling to pick up trash in the bushes of a Wal-Mart parking lot.  When I inquired about what he was doing, he informed me that he had been asking for assistance earlier that day (i.e. standing with a cardboard sign that explained his neurological condition and asking for any assistance that people were willing to provide).  He went on to say that he felt badly about getting something for nothing, so he was picking up the trash in the bushes in an effort to serve Wal-Mart for allowing him to stand there earlier that day.

I don’t remember much about that first encounter with L.H. other than being struck by what a kindly, genuine individual he was.  I am not sure how long it’s been since that first meeting.  I would guess that it was 18 months ago or so. 

I saw L.H. again as we pulled into the Wal-Mart parking lot Friday night.  For some reason, his presence brought me some sense of excitement, or perhaps it was a tinge of joy.  I wasn’t pleased to see that he was out in the cold, but I was distinctly pleased to see him.

I was blessed with the opportunity to speak with L.H. for a little while.  He shared some information with me about his current circumstances.  He also told me a little about the stroke he had experienced and how that had affected his right arm and leg.  Then L.H. shared a story with me about a recent situation in which people were very cruel to him when he was already in a very difficult circumstance. 

However, L.H. didn’t tell me this story to focus on his challenges or the cruelty of others.  He said that he shared the story with me to help learn “wisdom” (his word).  He said that although he had undergone a terrible experience, he had learned that he needed to focus on the good things in his life in order to keep the “demons” from getting in his head.  L.H. said that God had blessed him and that he had many good things that he could focus on when things were overwhelmingly sad or frustrating.  He then urged me to do the same.  He said that he wasn’t counseling me to “count my blessings” or anything like that.  He stated that he had simply learned that the devil can’t overpower your mind when you force yourself to think about good things that God has blessed you with.

L.H. shared the above counsel with me before I ever told him about Jacob’s death and the struggle that my wife and I are enduring.  His counsel seemed so timely that I had to thank him for it and share with him about the recent loss of our son.  I now wish that I had just thanked him for his wisdom because he seemed very upset by the news about our son.  He was very kind and consoling however. 

Isn’t that ironic?  L.H. is homeless, partially crippled, and standing in the cold begging for assistance, but HE was offering ME consolation and kindness. 

Before I left, I hugged L.H. a couple of times and promised to share his counsel with my wife.  I also thanked him sincerely for his kindness and insight.  What he gave me dwarfed what token assistance I was able to offer him.  I also told him that we loved him—because we do.

Once again, I am fairly confident that L.H. is an angel in disguise.