The HOBO- A family Story

                                                                                                                                                                                                       The Hobo                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                        

(Intro in my grandfather’s voice)

 

There has been a family story that I have heard over and over again growing up that involved my grandfather, grandmother, mom, her two sisters and a mysterious Hobo.

When my mom was about 5 years old, she lived in a very small little one room home with my grandparents (her parents) and her two younger sisters. (While I refer to them as my grandparents, they were very young at this time). Their tiny home was in Ukiah, in a little working-class area near the railroad.

These times were very tough for my family, while years had passed, they were still feeling and seeing remnants of “The Great Depression.” On top of this my grandfather along with many at the time had recently been laid off of his job. He recalls many were having a hard time finding work and only the lucky ones had a job.  They were struggling with each meal to put food on the table. When I ask my grandfather about this period of time, he always says; “we had nothin’, and I mean nothin’”. Strong emphasis on nothin’.

One morning my grandmother was cooking pancakes for the family. She gave one to each girl and one to my grandpa. She was cooking the last one for herself. This little pancake on the gridle was the last of their food and they did not know where their next meal would come from.

Just as they were preparing to sit and eat, came a sudden knock on the door. It was very unusual and startled them all.

As my grandfather opened the door, there stood a Hobo.

He was an older gentleman with a white beard, piercing blue eyes and very clean. But, a “hobo” none the less.

He said he was very hungry and asked if my grandparents had anything for him to eat.

As much as I’m sure my grandfather would have loved to help, he shared with him that they had nothing. Again, the man asked if they had anything to eat and again, my grandfather shared, they had nothing. Then the strange man asked “do you even have a little piece of bread or anything?”. My grandfather then looked over at my grandmother as she waived her hand and said; “let him in”.

As the strange man entered the small room, he noticed the three girls. As he moved through the room he stopped with each girl, he laid his hand on them and prayed for each of them individually.

Then he took a seat at the small table.

My grandmother then gave him the last pancake. Hers. He bowed his head and prayed over his food before he ate, then he began to speak about the things of God. He spoke a bit odd, his language and mannerisms different. He talked about having many sheep… How strange? My grandparents thought so too. Every time they would ask where he kept his sheep he would just say; “over yonder”. They were bewildered. He was a strange one for sure.

My mom was five years old at the time and even sixty-five years later she can remember him praying for her. Her biggest memory of him though was his eyes. She describes that he had the most beautiful, sparkling, piercing blue eyes. My grandfather shares; there was just something about his eyes, not only were they beautiful but they could see “right through you”.

The mysterious man had a great wisdom about God things.

After spending some time with my family and finishing my grandmother’s pancake. It was time for this stranger to leave. Before he left, he prayed for my grandparents. Then he took my grandfather’s hand, opened it and put an acorn in the palm of his hand. One acorn.

As he gave it to my grandfather, he told him to plant it. He said; “that while it was just a small seed, if he would plant it with just a little faith, it would grow into a huge tree.” Just as in life, if he would have just a little faith, it would produce great things. 

With that the hobo left.

The little house they were in was very, very small. It had a door and a small window to the left of it. As my family said goodbye to the stranger, they shut the door and took a step to the left to watch him leave out the window. He was gone! No where in sight.

Later that day, the neighbors where talking to my grandfather and they asked; “why is that man still in your house”? My grandfather shared with me the neighbors saw the “Hobo” enter his house earlier and thought it was so odd. My grandparents never had visitors and the neighbors decided to keep a watch on my grandparent’s house to make sure they were ok. They never saw the stranger leave.

You’ll recall earlier that day; my grandmother gave the very last of their food to a stranger in need.

Later, that evening they saw a big black limousine coming up their driveway and out steps two men. Very well dressed, all in black. The two men got out of the limo, opened all the doors and trunk and began carrying bags and boxes of groceries up to the front door. Lots and lots of them!

Enough to fill all the cupboards and then some!

In complete shock, my grandmother and grandfather kept asking the two men how they knew they were in such need. The men never answered this question. They just kept saying the name of a “store” they were from. My grandfather had never heard of such a store, it was a weird name and he knew there wasn’t a store anywhere around Ukiah with that name. He has never seen a store to this day with that name. It wasn’t until a few years later he would come across that strange name again. It was a place referred to in The Bible. Unfortunately, now 65 years later my grandfather can’t remember the name.

I have grown up hearing this precious story, of my young grandparents’ generosity to a stranger, A young mother giving away her last meal not knowing how she would feed her family their next one. I think my grandmother did have just a little faith that day!

Sound familiar?

God doesn’t require a big faith, just a little faith is just fine. 

Who was this man that visited my grandparents that day?

The Bible may hold some answers.

It has never been difficult for me to understand and relate to the scripture Heb. 13:2 that says; “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

Matthew 25:35 “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”

This story is a wealth of biblical principals in action.

No matter who HE was God saw my young grandparents generosity that day. They must have had just a little faith to be so giving when they had nothing to share. I believe giving away the last pancake was their “acorn” and the overwhelming supply of groceries delivered was the result…..”their huge tree”. 

God always knows our needs and I believe He will do the same for us today if we will have just a little faith.

 

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The Anchor Holds…