A Split Second of Heaven

Leaving downtown, I pulled up to a light and glanced to make sure the doors were locked.

When I looked back up, a slight movement caught my left eye.  

Up a little way on the corner he stood, shoulders slumped.  He wore all black including a black nylon scull cap of sorts.  The black clothes made his skin look like worn leather—a deep, dark coffee color.  His eyes squinted in the morning sun. 

A black man dressed in all black?  Talk about classic “scary downtown hoodlum.”

He shifted and I noticed he held a newspaper in front of his chest.  I quickly grabbed for my wallet.  The light remained red.  I rolled down the window and held out my money.  Waving it in the sunshiny brightness.

At first he didn’t see.  I was about to call out “Sir!”

But, then he noticed my arm out the window.

He bounded across the lane between us and was next to me in a millisecond. 

The first thing I noticed was his smile, but very quickly, silver teeth were outshined by twinkles in his glistening eyes.

He handed me the paper and took the money with both hands as if it were precious.

He made a point to look me in the eyes. 

I didn’t look away.

“God bless you,” he smiled again, “and thank you!”

“Thank YOU” I emphasized and matched his genuine smile with my own.

Moments later, I was zooming across Veteran’s Bridge leaving downtown Nashville behind.

But, the silver smile under the cocoa colored skin stayed with me.

If he hadn’t been selling the paper, I wouldn’t have given him a second glance.  Truth be told, I would have been slightly nervous if I had met a man in all black and had not been in my car.  (He was dressed rather like a bank robber after all.)  But, had I not given him a second glance, I would have missed the silver smile, the shining eyes, and the offering of a blessing from God.

The way he said it was so different from the way the sweet southern belle spoke it after I sneezed in the checkout at the grocery store the other day.  She said it, of course, because it was customary, but I rather thought she liked hearing the sound of her own sugary voice.

How about my friend with the newspaper?  He seemed to be genuinely wishing a great kindness on me from Above.  And the funny thing was, I did feel blessed. 

Blessed by his quick service.  Blessed by his smile.  Blessed by his genuine eyes.  Blessed by his words and sincere gratitude.

I hope that my short words of thanks reflected the gratitude I felt for the moment we shared this crisp, bright November morning.  Because, although we are so very different, our smiles are the same—they both stem from hearts that know the blessing of God’s presence. 

I just have a feeling that I will see this soul again one day.  In that day, the blessing we felt under the November sun of a world that is not our true home will be felt a hundred-fold.  There will be no cars, no street corners, no newspapers, no dollars.  But, there will be smiles and shining eyes and light and laughter and the blessing of God’s presence.

Here’s what I love: today, I am pretty sure that I experienced a split second of heaven on that street corner.  How about you—ever caught a glimpse of heaven in someone’s eyes?