A few weeks back, on a frigid day, I was walking in turbo-mode in the interest of preserving my fingertips. I was stopped by a man on the corner, selling his poetry. He told me that he needed $30 for a room. “I’m so cold,” he said.
His eyes were bloodshot, his skin red and bruised from the wind, and one side of his nose was running. I decided that if he wasn’t going to spend the money honorably, that would be his problem. I handed him a dollar, which he took. I hesitated a moment. I knew he’d be out there peddling poetry for a long time, and what would become of his nose and ears?
I forked over all the cash I had–a whopping eleven dollars. He took the money gratefully and I headed to campus, where I was planning to spend a few hours working on a book proposal and munching on sushi. As soon as I stepped away I realized with horror what I’d done–I didn’t have my wallet with me and I’d given away all my money. I quickly did the equations in my head: zero cash + zero cash = no sushi.
As a nursing mother, my hunger tends to be extreme, and I tend to fixate on certain foods. It was a sushi day, all the way, and I’d been banking on it to get me out the door. But here I was, with no wallet and no cash, headed to campus.
As I walked, I thought about the divine economy and the possibility that God might just make a deposit into my tummy account. On campus, I headed over to the Div. School, hoping to find my husband.
I didn’t find him, but I ran into one of his peers, who was carrying a bin full of food. I cleared my throat, “Hey Adrian, do you happen to have some leftovers?” He nodded and smiled, digging through the the box. He coaxed out a plastic container. “Would you like some sushi?”
Ser
5
Did you tell me about this and I forgot? I remember the title, but somehow I missed the story. Perhaps I was nodding and smiling and saying “uh-huh” while fetching a diaper, stopping a flying fist, and fixing a snack.
This is lovely!
Anonymous
5
This story is beautiful on the outside and just glows on the inside…I feel cleansed by it… Vinh
Dove Knits
5
Cool!
Ted Slater
5
Hopefully the sushi hadn’t been in that box for too long. ;-)
Sushi is indeed divine, but not if it’s gotten a bit too old.
Anonymous
5
Julia, I love the full circle of it all – glad to have been given a heads up on the Line. I imagine the sushi was edible, knowing your Father’s hand in it. A liminal space is a beautiful thing.
Danielle
Anonymous
5
Whoops, sorry – *Jenny* (blush)
Jenny
5
Hey Danielle,
No blushing–I’m flattered that you thought I was Julia. Is she a friend of yours?
Jen