I had a full schedule, so I knew I’d better grab lunch if I got the chance. Nothing sounded tasty and I considered skipping it altogether, but I went anyway.

I came across a place I go to every once in a while. I paid for my order, settled into a booth and started writing as I’ve been known to do.

A man in a wheelchair left his table and rolled up to mine. He was about my age, unshaven, missing part of a leg. He said he didn’t have enough for a piece of chocolate cake because he’d been robbed recently and they took all he had.

I took care of the cake and told him, “Everyone deserves a little chocolate in their life.” I couldn’t hear him over the crowd, so I grabbed my stuff and asked if I could join him. Now I usually overanalyze and calculate the risks, but not today.

He offered to share his fries but I said, “I’m not supposed to eat ‘em, doctor’s orders.”

I asked where he got robbed and he said when he was on the way to visit a friend, two guys took his money, $200 worth. I said, “I don’t know how people sleep at night doing that.”

He told me he’d been a mechanic and we talked about engines and how new cars are impossible to work on without a computer. We got to talking about keeping lawnmowers running and it seemed we’d both spent our younger days with busted knuckles covered in grease, or building fence or digging post holes.

We talked for the better part of an hour telling stories and laughing like old friends. I had to get back to work so I cleaned up my half of the table while he packed up his leftovers.

I reached into my pocket and handed him a few bills I had folded up. I said, “It won’t replace what they took, but it might help.”

He looked at me with wide eyes, “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I was blessed with a little extra today so I’m sharing it.”

He nodded and said, “Maybe we’ll meet up here another day… and I’ll pay you back.”

I shook his hand and said, “It’s a deal.”

I don’t know where he came from, where he went or even his name. None of that seemed important at the time.

It wasn’t until I drove away that I remembered a devotional I had read.

How are you going to share the Gospel today?

I certainly hadn’t planned on it.

Not sure how much Gospel we shared.

We just had lunch.