The Ragged Old Man (A beautiful and honest story)

We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly sitting and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said ‘Hi’. He pounded his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment. I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were unkempt and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map. We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. ‘Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy, I see ya, buster,’ the man said to Erik.

My husband and I exchanged looks, ‘What do we do?” Erik continued to laugh and answer ‘Hi’. Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then the man.
The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, ‘ Do ya patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo. Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments.

We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the cheque and told me to meet him in the carpark. The old man sat poised between me and the door.
‘Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to Erik,’ I prayed. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby’s ‘pick-me-up’ position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man.

Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love and kinship, Erik in an act of total trust, love and submission laid his tiny head upon the man’s ragged shoulder. The man’s eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labour, cradled my baby and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time.

I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, ‘You take care of this baby.’ Somehow I managed, ‘I will,’ from a throat that contained a stone.

He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, ‘God bless you, ma’am, you’ve given me my Christmas gift.’

I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, ‘my God, my God, forgive me.’

I had just witnessed Christ’s love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, ‘Are you willing to share your son for a moment?’ when He shared His for all eternity. How did God feel when he put his baby in our arms 2000 years ago.

The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, ‘To enter the Kingdom of God, we must become as little children.’

Taken from a readers Contribution to The Rosary Letter
To get their magazine go to www.rosarycentre.com

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12 Responses to The Ragged Old Man (A beautiful and honest story)

  1. Luis says:

    Great Story, I want to thank you for this story i am a fan and your meditation at the end is worth millions. Thankyou thankyou thankyou!

    • Geoff Heggadon says:

      Thank you Luis it is a beautiful story that teaches us we must become as little children to enter the Kingdom. Thank you for your encouragement. God bless Geoff

  2. betty junior says:

    this is awesome. Abba Father, I love you. Daddy please bless these pastors for sharing this wonderful story

  3. I cried a lot of tears ,i feel so sorry for all my mistakes.Dear GOd you are as You are Youre the greatest love of all.i love you

  4. Gary says:

    Thanks again for another beautiful story. Once again our loving God reminds us of how simple it is to show one another LOVE.
    God Bless

  5. Linda B says:

    Oh my goodness! What a wonderful story. I sat here all alone in my living room and had tears in my eyes as I read this story.

  6. Marina says:

    What a touching and beautiful story. It really brought tears to my eyes.
    The beautiful innocent baby saw the beautiful aura of the old ragged man!

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