Reversal

The floor of the train station is dusty, dirty, and littered with wrappers, paper, and cha cups. The atmosphere is bustling with activity; vendors sell their produce, the train honks as it slows at the station, and people wait impatiently in line for their tickets. Next to the line is a beggar. She's an elderly lady that lives at the train station. She sits on the floor with her hand out to ask for food and money. Garrett and I visit her daily to share food with her, usually bananas.

Last week, Justin, Garrett, and I went to visit the old lady again. We sat down next to her and gave her bananas as we ate our own. As I was finishing my banana, I noticed her digging through her bag and she pulls a sock out. She doesn't say anything; in fact, she does not speak much at all, we have never learned her name. She opens up the sock and there are rupees inside. The woman took a few rupees out and handed them to Garrett. I was so confused. She was handing us money? Did she want to pay for the bananas? Is she asking us to fetch something for her?

Thankfully, there was a man nearby that translated the few words she said. She wanted to buy us all tea. We sat there uncomfortably, not wanting to accept it. But Justin stepped in and told us to accept it. So we very awkwardly received it and brought back tea. We sat on the floor of the train station with her, sipping our tea watching her and people pass by.

The lady has very little. When she opened the sock, there were maybe 30 rupees inside. She probably gave us a fifth of what she had, so we could share tea together. I was definitely not expecting her to share with us. Yet, in a crazy reversal, she bought our tea for us. A woman living in poverty invited us for tea. The lady became more poor to give to us. It was humbling. It was a clear act of Christ. Like Jesus, who became poor for our sake, she became more poor to give to us. I believe God was in that moment, demonstrating a glimpse of his love for us. In order to invite us into the Kingdom, Christ choose to become poor, just like the lady did.

2 Corinthians 8:9