The old man slowly looked up.  He saw a woman clearly accustomed
 to the finer things of life.  Her coat was new.  She looked like that she
 had never  missed a meal in her life.  His first thought was that she wanted to
 make  fun of him, like so many others had done before.
     "Leave me alone," he growled.

 

     To his amazement, the woman continued standing.  She was smiling
 -- her  even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows."Are you hungry?" she
 asked.

 

     "No," he answered sarcastically.&  "I've just come from dining
 with the  president. Now go away."

 

     The woman's smile became even broader.

 

     Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm.

 

     "What are you doing, lady?" the man asked angrily. "I said to
 leave me  alone."

 

     Just then a policeman came up. "Is there any problem, ma'am?" he
 asked.

 

     "No problem here, officer," the woman answered. "I'm just trying
 to get  this man to his feet. Will you help me?"

 

     The officer scratched his head.  "That's old Jack. He's been a
 fixture  around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?"

 

     "See that cafeteria over there?" she asked.  "I'm going to get him
 something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile."

 

     "Are you crazy, lady?" the homeless man resisted. "I don't want
 to go in  there!"

 

     Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up.
 "Let me  go, officer. I didn't do anything."

 

     "This is a good deal for you, Jack," the officer answered. "Don't
 blow  it."

 

     Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police
 officer got  Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It
 was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already
 left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived.

 

     The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by the table.
 "What's  going on here, officer?" he asked.  "What is all this. Is this man in
 trouble?"

 

     "This lady brought this man in here to be fed," the policeman
 answered.

     "Not in here!" the manager replied angrily.  "Having a person
 like that here is bad for business."

 

     Old Jack smiled a toothless grin.  "See, lady. I told you so. Now
 if you'll let me go.  I didn't want to come here in the first place."

 

     The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled. "Sir, are
 you  familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?"

 

     "Of course I am," the manager answered impatiently. "They hold
 their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms."

 

     "And do you make a goodly amount of money providing food at these
 weekly  meetings?"

 

     "What business is that of yours?"

 

     "I sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company."

 

     "Oh."

     The woman smiled again.  "I thought that might make a
 difference." She  glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a giggle.

 

     "Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal,
 officer?"

 

     "No thanks, ma'am," the officer replied. "I'm on duty."

 

     "Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?"

 

     "Yes, ma'am. That would be very nice."

 

     The cafeteria manager turned on his heel.  "I'll get your coffee
 for you right away, officer."

 

     The officer watched him walk away.  "You certainly put him in  his
 place," he said.

 

     "That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for
 all this."

 

     She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest. She
 stared at him intently.  "Jack, do you remember me?"

 

     Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes "I think
 so......I mean you do look familiar. "

 

     "I'm a little older perhaps," she said.  "Maybe I've even filled
 out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through
 that very door, cold and hungry."

 

     "Ma'am?" the officer said questioningly.  He couldn't believe
 that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry.

 

     "I was just out of college," the woman began.  "I had come to the
 city looking for a job, but I couldn't find anything. Finally I was down
 to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked
 the streets for days.  It was February and I was cold and nearly
 starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I
 could get something to eat."

 

     Jack lit up with a smile.  "Now I remember," he said. "I was
 behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for
 something to eat. I said that it was against company policy."

 

     "I know," the woma n continued.  "Then you made me the biggest
 roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told
 me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would
 get into trouble.  Then, when I looked over, I saw you put the price of my
 food in the cash register.  I knew then that everything would be all right."

 

     So you started your own business?" Old Jack said.

 

     "I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I
 started my own business that, with the help of God, I prospered."

 

     She opened her purse and pulled out a business card.  "When you
 are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons.  He's the
 personnel director of my company. I'll go talk to him now and I'm certain he'll
 find something for you to do around the office." She smiled. "I think he
 might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place  to live until you get on your feet And if you ever need anything, my door is  always open for you."

 

     There were tears in the old man's eyes.  "How can I ever thank
 you," he said.

 

     "Don't thank me," the woman answered.  "To God goes the glory. 
 Thank Jesus. He led me to you."

 

     Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the
 entrance before going their separate ways.

 

     "Thank you for all your help, officer," she said.

 

     "On the contrary, Ms. Eddy," he answered.  "Thank you. I saw a
 miracle today, something that I will never forget. And... And thank you for
 the coffee."

 

     She frowned. "I forgot to ask you whether you used cream or sugar.
 That's black."

 

     The officer looked at the steaming cup of coffee in his hand.
 "Yes, I do take cream and sugar......perhaps more sugar than is good for me." He  patted his ample stomach.

 

     "I'm sorry," she said.

 

     "I don't need it now," he replied smiling.  "I've got the
 feeling that this coffee you bought me is going to taste as sweet as sugar."
                   
 ******************************************************
     If you have missed knowing me......you have missed nothing.

 

     If you have missed some of my emails......have missed a laugh.

 

     But, if you have missed knowing my LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST,
 you have missed everything in the world.

 

     Have a Blessed Day!
     Marion