Some years ago a friend of mine was travelling to London on business, arriving at Leeds city station for his train; he was met by a notice board stating that the London train would be delayed by forty five minutes due to a fault on the line. He decided to go into the buffet have some coffee and read his morning paper whilst he was waiting. He was sipping his coffee when a shadow fell across his table and looking up he saw a shabbily dressed middle aged man, who looked badly in need of a shave. The man smiled at him and said, “Excuse me sir, but have you got the price of a cup
of tea.” He looked as if he could do with a good meal, not just a cup of tea. My friend felt really sorry for the man so he gave him a ten pound note saying, ”Here, buy yourself some food to go with your cup of tea.” “Thanks very much sir, said the man, “But if you don’t mind, I’ll go and have a wash first.” My friend fully expected his ten pounds to be on its way to the nearest “off licence” but no, ten minutes later the man returned. His face was clean and his hair was brushed and his eyes seemed a lot brighter. He joined the queue at the counter, ordered a cooked meal and a cup of tea and was given pound coins for his change. Picking up his tray he started to make his way to an empty table when he paused, looked at the coins in his hand, then he turned back towards the counter and dropped the coins into a collecting box for needy children.

My friend spent another half hour waiting for his train and drinking coffee in the busy buffet and in all this time the only person who put anything into the collecting box was the man who had nothing, but who gave away everything he had. Although he didn’t realise it at the time, this man was the only true follower of Christ in that buffet.

Jesus told us, “When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your heavenly Father who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”