Mama and the Stranger

My dear sweet mother died in August of 1997. She has been on my mind a lot lately, and in her memory, I would like to share a true story about her that shows her caring, loving and unselfish character. I hope that it will touch each of you the way that it did me. I have never forgotten it.

I remember my mother having an almost unhealthy fear of strangers. She was overly cautious when around others she didn't know, and would normally never strike up a conversation with a complete stranger!

However, one day, she acted totally out of character...

It had been an extremely hot summer. The temperature had been above 100 degrees for almost two weeks. It was lunchtime, and she and I were in the air-conditioned car traveling down the Highway toward town when we passed a young man, 20ish, with long brown hair and a backpack. He was hitch hiking, but no one was stopping.

We ran several errands around town, then headed back down the highway toward our home to the east of town. We decided to stop at a burger place to get something to eat and drink. The weather was awful. It was just too plain HOT! My mother went in to place an order while I stayed in the air-conditioned car. After several minutes, I noticed the same young man we'd seen earlier walk out of the restaurant looking dejected. I watched as he slowly walked down the side of the road back toward the main highway.


Minutes later my mom came out with our order. She also had an extra sack and a very large drink. Without explanation, she started the car and headed back in the direction we had just come from instead of toward home. As we approached the main highway, we saw that young man again on the side of the road, sitting under a tree with his thumb out. He looked exhausted, and he was sweating profusely. He was a perfect example of the sort of person my mother normally veered away from. To my surprise, she pulled the car to the side of the road, grabbed a sack of food and that large drink and got out of the car. I couldn't hear what she or the young man said, but I saw him smile and his lips clearly said "thank you" to my mom as she gave him the sack of food and the water, along with some money. She said something else, then turned and got back into the car and we headed back toward home.
As we drove, she told me what had happened in the restaurant.



As my mom had placed her order with the young girl behind the register, she noticed this young man standing back away from the counter, quietly waiting until all the other patrons had been waited on. He then meekly approached the girl at the counter and said, "May I please have a glass of water?" The girl then asked what size cup he wanted. He said a large one would be nice. She said, "That will be fifty cents." He said, "I have no money, may I just have a small cup then?" Her reply was, "I'm sorry, but that will be twenty-five cents for a small cup. You have to pay for the cup." The young man, obviously hot, tired and thirsty, did not argue or become rude, but simply turned with his head down and walked out.

My Mother was so upset that she looked at the young girl and asked her, "If Jesus Christ walked in here and asked for a small cup of water, would you turn him down for a quarter?" Mama then bought an extra meal and the largest glass of water they had. You know the rest of the story.


My mother always told me that the Bible said we should treat others as we would want to be treated. Scripture says, Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (Hebrews 13:2)

Though I miss her terribly, I'm happy to say that my Mom is now in the company of angels on a permanent basis and is with her Lord and maker for all eternity. I look forward to the day that I will see her again.