God Bless The "BagLady"
Dan Rodgers
Sunday, August 27, 2006
TEXT: Isaiah 64:6, But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
ILLUSTRATION: Last Sunday, the church took up an offering for our wedding anniversary; so Kitty and I decided to take a couple of days and visit Monterey. It had been a few years since we were last there.
We drove the popular 17-mile scenic route that passes Pebble Beach and leads on to the city of Carmel. We drove on up to Santa Cruz, stopping by the house where my aunt used to live. Then we passed the old high school where my dad attended, drove down to the boardwalk, strolled out on the pier, and watched the people fish a bit. It was nice just to get away for a couple of days.
While we were in Monterey, we visited Fisherman's Wharf. We've been there several times, so we decided to have a late lunch at one of the seafood restaurants we had eaten at before. After an enjoyable meal, we looked in a few shops, and then sat down on a bench close to the water.
While we were sitting there, we happened to notice a little old lady, picking through the garbage cans. She had a long stick, with a three-pronged hook on the end, so she could get the bottles that were out of reach. She would pour out the contents and then place the bottles in her bag.
She saw me looking at her, and waved her little hand and smiled real big. Finally, she came to a garbage can just a few feet from where Kitty and I were sitting and began to pick through it. I said, "Does somone pay you to do that?" She said, "No, dear, this is my living—I do this to support myself. I walk down here every day—it takes me about an hour."
I said, "Where do you live?" "I live with my niece," she replied. I said, "Does she know you do this?" She answered, "Yes, but she works hard, too. She waits on tables. I just don't want to be ...
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