Lunch with God

Raghav Raja

 A  little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his satchel with a bag of potato chips and  few bottles   of root beer and started his journey.
When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park, just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his satchel. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old  lady looked hungry, so he offered her some chips. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.

Her  smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat  there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never  said a word. As twilight approached, the boy realised how tired he was and he got up to leave; but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman, and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever. When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, “What did you do today that made you so happy?”. He replied, “I had lunch with God.” But before his mother could respond, he added, “You know what? She’s  got the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen!”.

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant  with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, “Mother , what did you do today that made you so happy?” She replied, “I ate potato chips in the park with God.” However, before her son  responded, she added, “You know, he’s much younger than I expected.”

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word,  a listening ear, an honest  compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime! Embrace them  all equally!