Entertaining Angels

I hope that by some chance, reading that title has gotten the Newsboys song stuck in your head.

While overall, I would say that today was not my day, I did witness a very cool story that I want to share.

I was at my internship at Rocketown today and all the staff members had gone into a meeting. I was hanging out in the coffee bar, editing some interviews and greeting any people who may come in (we weren't open yet, but people will come by to drop off a package or something).

I watched as a man dressed in jeans and a baggy shirt came up the stairs. He had a bit of a worried expression, and when I asked if I could help him he said, "Well, first, I really just need to get to a men's room." At that time, my supervisor had come out of the meeting to make sure everything was going alright and we figured out that this man was lost and attempted to help him get back on track. He went to the bathroom and she went back in to the meeting.

When the man came back out, he stopped to ask me how the building was paid for. Because of the nature of the place I work at (not my internship), and the rules we have about giving out information, I was a little hesitant to give out such information. I really couldn't tell you why, I guess I was just taken aback by the question and he most certainly did not look that the typical person I'd like to correspond with. But I told him we were a non-profit organization, to which he asked if we received any money from the government. I told him we didn't. So he asked if he could get our information because he works for a company that would love to make a donation to us.

I'm sorry, what?

Here was a man, who just happened to get lost on our street and came to use our bathroom who left wanting to make a donation to us. While I was not rude towards him, I was just a bit hesitant in speaking with him, sadly, because he looked like trouble to me. I'd like to think that I don't judge, but here I am. Guilty, again.

I could not help but laugh at this encounter. Truly a God moment. Hebrews 13:2 says, "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unknowingly." Well, that was me today. I only wish I had been more hospitable. But I thank God for sending him to our doorstep and for the lesson I learned. But now I pray that God would remove the thought that strangers are always "bad" people. Sure, there's a few crazies out there, but generally, strangers are people just looking for a community. And if I'm such an advocate for community like I claim to be, I need to be more welcoming in all settings. Convicted. Again.