James Stuart Bell - A Cup of Comfort Stories for Christians: Celebrating faith and grace

Avon, Massachusetts

In these stories, God works in supernatural ways and also in quiet, ordinary ways. He unfolds, as the Bible says, beauty out of ashes; he brings healing, comfort, hope, and joy out of seemingly impossible situations. When God works in the lives of his people, those lives are forever changed. Hearts are mended. Relationships are restored. Bodies are healed. Faith is strengthened.

Just as God eventually answered the deepest needs and longings of those within these stories, hopefully you as the reader experience the blessing of Psalm 20, verse 4: May He grant your hearts desire and fulfill all your plans.

By M. Lee Brown

The whitefish was broiled beautifully and was flanked by sides of rice and peas in a light tomato sauce. My waiters parting words were, Please enjoy. Well, enjoy I did; my lunch was delectable. I consumed all the food, which was unusual for me.

With the arrival of my bill, the clock on the wall confirmed it was time to return to work. I prepared myself to enter the cold again, put two dollars on the table, and gave the host a twenty-dollar bill for my seven-dollar lunch. My change went into my coat pocket.

The streets in Greektown were not very busy, though I navigated through a small group of people in front of Fishbones. I said hello as they made eye contact but paid no particular attention to anyone.

Continuing down Brush Street, I encountered more people in front of the Atheneum Hotel. A man and a lady with a cane approached from the opposite direction. They walked past the group of people and, to my surprise, came directly to me. The man stepped up to me, looked me in the eye, and said, Excuse me, Miss, but will you help us? Anything you give us will be appreciated, anything at all; please? The mans request seemed more on the ladys behalf than his own. The lady stood in place, silently clutching her cane. The lack of space between them revealed her vulnerability and dependence on him.

I shook my head no and said, Im sorry, but I dont have anything with me. He thanked me, and the lady politely nodded and smiled as he returned to her side. He pulled her arm through his, and they went on their way. I continued on my separate path.

At the next street corner, my spirit was nagged by discontent, and I heard: You know they need me. The words seemed to invade my psyche, as if the money in my pocket were speaking to me. It cried out to go with the lady and man. The entire scenario replayed in my mind in vivid detail and slow motion as I relived what happened.

The man was tall and skinny. His hair was wild, like Don Kings, only shorter. The lenses in his glasses were as thick as pop bottles. His blue overcoat was old and more suited for cool fall weather than for the wintry temperatures of the day. He had no gloves or scarf. His black shoes were old and worn. His brown trousers were dirty and wrinkled.

The plump lady wore a short, drab green coat, a brown wool hat, and brown wool mittens. Her straight, mousy brown hair hung to her shoulders from under the hat. The cane she clutched was white with a red tip. Her eyes were set back in her pale face and shut tight, like they had never been open. Clearly she was blind.

My heart pounded as I realized what I had done. The voice of the money in my pocket sounded loud: What can they do? Where can they go? Whos going to help them?

I urgently wanted to put the money in the mans hand. I turned around to find the couple, but they where nowhere to be seen. I walked back to the Atheneum Hotel but didnt find them. I walked up Lafayette Street but didnt see them. I checked my watch. It was already two oclock, and my lunch hour was over.

I headed back to work feeling dejected and convicted. The money in my pocket spoke its disapproval again: What difference will these few dollars make to you? Why didnt you help them? I had no answer to the questions. I only had guilt and shame.

Every day after that, I looked for the couple wherever I went to lunch. I kept extra money in my pocket ten, fifteen, or twenty dollars. I routinely walked through Greektown, but I didnt see the man with the lady. One, then two weeks passed, and I continued my campaign to find the two. I prayed for forgiveness at the missed opportunity and for another chance. This couple needed one friendly face in the crowd. I didnt know that face should have been mine, and I only recognized it when it was too late.

Four weeks passed following my encounter with destiny, but I still went walking during lunch in ready mode, ever hopeful, ever watchful.

For reasons only God knows, on one particular day I was late leaving the office. It was one-thirty by the time I bundled up for my lunchtime walk in the cold. I went outside at Randolph. It was sunny, so I reached for my sunglasses. After several deep breaths and feeling the rays of the sun, a calm engulfed me. I headed toward Greektown.

The light at the corner of Randolph and Larned held a steady signal, Do Not Walk. Traffic was heavy, so I waited and surveyed the pedestrians. Slowly, the couple standing across the street came into focus. There they were, and I was ready. Removing my glove, I put my right hand in my pocket and clutched the money. My heart jumped for joy!

When the light changed, I didnt move. Things went into slow motion. The man guided the lady across the street. She seemed so dependent on him, and he seemed so determined to protect her. They walked directly to me. Before he could say anything, I took his hand and looked him in the eye. The bills went happily into his hand as I said, This is for you. I smiled and hid tears behind my glasses.

The sun felt warm as I continued to walk. Half a block away I heard a loud voice calling from behind me. I heard the voice again. The third time I turned around. It was the man. He and the lady were awkwardly running toward me. I stopped and saw tears running down his face as he approached. Thank you so much! God bless you and your family. The words came from a place deep in his soul and went deep into mine.

Putting both my hands around his, I let the tears flow. He already has; and God bless you two. The sun felt even warmer when I saw the smile on the ladys face.

The amount of money I placed in the mans hand was small, only ten dollars. What we got for those ten dollars was worth far more.

I still walk downtown during my lunch with an extra ten or twenty dollars in my pocket, and I still look for that couple. Ive made a promise to help them whenever we have another encounter. But I have yet to see them again.

M. Lee Brown resides in metro Detroit. She also wrote the foreword to Ellas Cuisine , a salt-, sugar-, and wheat-free cookbook, and is currently writing a novel.

By Janet M. Bair

School was over, and the halls were crowded with rushing children hurrying to their buses or carpools. I was picking up my two daughters. I searched the busy crowd of children with their assortment of backpacks and gym bags, looking for them. Then I happened to glance down at my left hand and saw with a shock that the stone of my engagement ring was gone! I was stunned. Where could it have fallen out?

I had just left work, driven to my childrens school, and walked across a parking lot. My heart started thumping in panic as I realized I had no idea when or where the stone had disappeared. It could have come loose from its antique setting anywhere. It might have fallen onto the blacktop of the parking lot or onto the floor of the busy school. I tried retracing my exact steps back to my car. The blacktop shimmered in the sun with glistening specks of gravel. It was hopeless to find such a small object in a large, busy area. Children were chattering on the sidewalk, cars were pulling in and out to pick them up, and the school buses were leaving.