“But you have God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear! A lot of people, prophets and humble believers among them, would have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance.”
(Matthew 13:16-17 from The Message)
Once again, I saw the man along my way to work. He is always seated on a stump or a large plastic can, saying a few words to himself, smiling a sweet smile. I have noticed that he wears a toboggan in all seasons (a toque, for my Canadian friends). I have wondered what he sounds like, what his smile looks like up close, if his eyes twinkled. I wonder no more.
One night this past week, I met a friend for supper. We walked into the restaurant and there HE sat! Toboggan on … smile ready for the next person to walk through the doors … eyes twinkling. His laugh was deep and that of a blend of Jim the Shoeshine Man, years ago, standing at his shoeshine stand on a downtown corner of my hometown and Uncle Remus on a much loved story-book album (both men, I loved in my childhood). The man pointed to my friend and said with great joy, “HEY, it’s good to see you again!” She smiled and said, “Hi! It’s good to see you (although she had never seen him before).” When the man smiled, his cheeks became more pronounced, making his eyes squint and twinkle even more. He asked if she was OK. “Yes, I’m doing well.” “Good, good,” he said as he shook his head from side to side and smiled as if praising God for that good news. He asked if she was still going to church. When she said YES, he said, “Good, good, I’ll keep praying for you.” My friend thanked him.
Then, he looked my way, pointing and said, “Who is this?” My friend said, “Oh, she is my friend.” The man’s smile couldn’t have grown any bigger. He held up his large hand and said, “Hi FRIEND! I see you!” Then, he put his hands up to his eyes as if they were binoculars and said with a huge belly-laugh, “I SEEEEEEE YOUUUUUU!!!!!!” For some reason, my response was a reciprocated smile and the words, “I see you too!” “Good, good,” he said with a laugh that echoed with joy.
My friend and I were ushered to our table and our thoughts turned to the news of our families and work and life in general. The man had come and gone with a take-out box in hand, leaving his smile and laughter bouncing around in my memory.
The following day, as I drove by him on my way to work, I could “SEEEEEE HIMMMM” in a way that I had never seen this invisible man on the streets before. I could see the twinkle in his eyes in a different way, hear the laughter that surely followed his great big smile, hear the things that were important to him such as a person doing well or going to church or prayer. I knew that one of the most important things for him was for someone to “SEEEEE” another person. He taught me that with his “hand binoculars”, seeing me at a time when it was I who felt a little invisible.
