Unconditional Acceptance

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college  degree. 

The last  class I had to take was Sociology. 

The teacher  was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human  being had been graced with.  Her last  project of the term was called, 'Smile.' 

The class was  asked to go out and smile at three people and document their  reactions.

I am a very  friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I  thought this would be a piece of cake, literally. 

Soon after we  were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to  McDonald's one crisp March morning. 

It was just  our way of sharing special playtime with our son. 

We were  standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone  around us began to back away, and then even my  husband did. 

I did not  move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me  as I turned to see why they had moved. 

As I turned  around I smelled a horrible 'dirty body' smell, and there standing  behind me were two poor homeless men. 

As I looked  down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was  'smiling' 

His beautiful  sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for  acceptance. 

He said,  'Good day' as he counted the few coins he had been  clutching.. 

The second  man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend.. I realized the  second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his  salvation. 

I held my tears as I stood there  with them. 

The young lady at the counter  asked him what they wanted.. 

He said, 'Coffee is all Miss'  because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the  restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be  warm). 

Then I really felt it - the  compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man  with the blue eyes. 

That is when I noticed all eyes in the 

restaurant were set on me, judging my every action. 

I smiled and asked the young lady  behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate  tray. I then walked around the corner to  the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on  the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold  hand.. 

He looked up at me, with tears in  his eyes, and said, 'Thank you.' 

I leaned over, began to pat his  hand and said, 'I did not do this for you. God is here working through  me to give you hope.' 

I started to cry as I walked away  to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and  said, 'That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me  hope..' 

We held hands for a moment and at  that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given  were we able to give. 

We are not church goers, but we  are believers. 

That day showed me the pure Light  of God's sweet love. 

I returned to college, on the last  evening of class, with this story in hand. 

I turned in 'my project' and the  instructor read it. 

Then she looked up at me and said,  'Can I share this?' 

I slowly nodded as she got the  attention of the class. 

She began to read and that is when  I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need to  heal people and to be healed. 

In my own way I had touched the  people at McDonald's, my son,the instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a  college student. 

I graduated with one of the  biggest lessons I would ever learn: 

UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE. 

Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to 

LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS -

NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE..