A Subway Miracle

“Hey, will you buy me a sandwich?” the stranger said as I stepped out of the crosswalk and up onto the sidewalk.

I hadn’t seen him there, not because I was intentionally disregarding him for any reason, but because I had just come out of the post office and was deciding which way was best to walk back to work during my lunch break.

Several things went through my mind really quickly. 

 First: "I don’t really feel like I have room in my budget to be buying lunch. I intentionally skipped lunch today, both for money and fitness reasons." 

Then: "This reminds me of an experience Jenna had, and the way she handled it was so inspiring.  I should emulate that."

And last: "The man at the post office just wished me a Merry Christmas as I left the counter. What kind of Christian do I want to be?"

This man wasn’t dirty and disheveled like many homeless people, but he wore mismatched clothes and carried nothing with him. The longing in his voice for a little bit of help was enough for me to not truly care about his economic station in life and want to do whatever I could for him.

After pausing just long enough that it was clear I wasn't sure if I would help, I said yes. I asked him where we should go to get said sandwich.

“There’s a Subway right here,” he told me. Sure enough, fifteen steps to my right was the sandwich shop. “And my name is Jeremy, what’s yours?” He shook my hand firmly as I told him my name.

We walked into Subway and I bought us both sandwiches. We ate together with very limited conversation. I learned that he is from Phoenix, but spent time in California and Illinois. He likes Illinois best. He didn’t ask me many questions, so I decided to fill in the gaps and tell him I’m from Tucson. I just recently moved and am liking Phoenix so far. The basics.

Jeremy’s sub was gone in just a few minutes and he was on his way, making sure to shake my hand again and thank me for the help before leaving. The door swung closed on the old leather jacket he wore, and I’ll probably never see him again.

While I sat there trying to process everything that had happened in the last 10 minutes, I felt bad at first that I hesitated to answer him. I felt bad that I wasn’t sure how to make conversation. I felt bad that Jeremy’s hands shook when he ate and that he clearly seemed in dire straits. But after Jeremy left and I finished eating my food, I knew I had done what I was placed in that situation to do. I knew would never regret that time spent at that table with him, and that I would never regret the little money I had spent.

The reason I won’t forget that experience and won’t regret how I spent the rest of my lunch hour is because for just a few minutes I was actually doing the things I have always told myself I needed to do: I was lifting up the hands that hang down. I was giving what I had to someone in greater need. I was letting myself care about someone else’s world before mine.

For a fraction of a second I truly felt like I was looking at Jeremy through the Savior’s eyes. Though I couldn’t discern his thoughts or understand his needs perfectly, I felt like I was fulfilling what Jeremy needed in that moment – human contact and a bite to eat. I couldn’t give much more, but I gave what I had to him in those minutes we spent in Subway together.

As I walked back to work I felt like I had done my mother proud. She’s been on my mind lately, and that brought me joy. I also felt like I had done my Heavenly Father proud, like I was really fulfilling part of my purpose here.

It’s hard for me to recognize opportunities to jump in and serve. A lot of other people are naturally good at that, and I’m not. I’m glad that Jeremy had the humility to ask for that help. I’m glad the postal worker had joy enough in his life to say Merry Christmas. I’m glad the Light of Christ led me to help that man on the sidewalk this week, and I'm glad God put a Subway in downtown Phoenix for me to learn from this.

I feel like those moments are what are true markers of our progression, and I’m pleased to feel like I took a step forward on Wednesday afternoon.

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