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Inspiration Archives

The Valentine's Gift
by Harrison Kelly (Harrison's bio)

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Shopping for a Valentine's gift can be the most nerve-wracking shopping event of the year, especially for a man. Chocolate-filled hearts are too filling, flowers are too short-lived, and over-sized cards are too passé.

I was at a loss with the day fast approaching, so I drafted my secretary to help me pick out a present for my wife. During my search, God gave me the greatest Valentine's gift I have ever received.

"Hurry up, Sally. We don't have much time," I said anxiously, leaving our office building for the brisk February air outside. The temperature was twenty degrees with a strong north wind. My new wool-lined overcoat would block the chill out, I trusted. "I want to get this over with."

"Relax. We have plenty of time," Sally said. She tugged at her gloves for a tighter fit. She was always a cheery person with a sweet personality and a keen sense for style.

We walked side-by-side; in a fast-paced walk two blocks to the jewelry store. Working in the downtown business district had its advantages, being close to a lot of shopping places was one of them. However, there were disadvantages as well. On the way, our path crossed by a couple of homeless men, huddled together by a vent from one of the nearby buildings. Vagrants, I thought.

I started to cross the street to avoid them, but traffic was too thick. Just before we approached, I switched sides with Sally to keep them from confronting her. They were surely going to beg for money, pretending to buy food.

As we got closer, the pair seemed out of place. One was probably in his mid-thirties, while the other was a boy, of school age, around thirteen or fourteen. Both were dressed shabbily, the older with a too-tight sport coat, ripped at the sleeve while the boy was without a coat at all, only a tattered shirt separated him from the blowing wind. A quarter or two and they'd leave us alone.

But Sally seemed undisturbed by the sight of the two beggars. In fact, she seemed comfortable in their presence. Before they asked, she offered. "Is there anything I can do for you?" I was in shock, waiting to pull Sally away from a dangerous situation but she stood firm.

The two men looked at her with surprise until the older one spoke up. "Yes, ma'am. We do need something."

Here it comes the hook, the gouge, I thought. Two panhandlers were looking for a handout, an easy mark. As I watched, I could tell the younger boy was shivering in the winter breeze but what could I do?

"Could you tell us the time?" asked the older man.

Sally glanced at her watch and replied, "Twelve-fifteen." He nodded his thanks and didn't say another word. We continued on our way to the jewelry store and I had to ask Sally about the encounter. "Why did you ask if you could help that man?"

"He was cold and in need, that's why," she replied.

"But he was a bum. He could have tried to rob you or something."

"I take care of myself but sometimes you have to take a chance on someone."

We arrived at the jewelry store and Sally quickly found the perfect gift for my wife, a pair of diamond earrings. While she was there, she bought a man' s watch, not an expensive one, but she was always thrifty. Probably a gift for her husband, I thought.

As we walked back to our building, the two vagabonds were still hovering around the sidewalk grate. Once again, I tried to come between Sally and the two but she wouldn't let me. When we got next to them, she pulled the watch out of bag to my surprise and she handed it to the older man. "Here, I'm sure you know how to use it."

He was as shocked as I was. "Much obliged, ma'am," he said, trying the watch on his wrist. We walked on and Sally had a gleam in her eyes, proud of what she had done.

"Why on Earth did you do that?"

Sally shrugged and said, "God had been so good to me, I decided to do something good for someone else."

"But that beggar didn't deserve it."

"Even the poor want something special and besides God's done things for me that I don't deserve but He did them anyway."

We arrived back at our building and went into our separate offices. I wondered about encounter and I thought about the two men. Surely they were at the pawnshop at Sally's expense.

The next day, I was going to have lunch alone at a hamburger stand outside our building. As I walked down the street, I noticed the same two men that Sally and I had encountered. They were both still hovering around the heater vent. The older man recognized me and said, "Excuse me, sir. Could you give me the time?"

A-ha! I had caught him. Sally's watch was nowhere to be found. Exactly what I thought. "Where's the watch my secretary gave you yesterday?" I said, hoping to stir his heart.

He hung his head down and admitted his guilt. "Sir, I'm sorry but I had to do something," It was then I noticed the new parka around the shoulders of his young companion. "Wouldn't you do something for one of your own?"

Speechless, I handed him a quarter and continued on my way. As I walked, I started thinking about the incident. He had sold the watch all right, but he bought a coat with the money. Sally's act of kindness did have meaning. So did her words: the challenge was answered.

As I arrived at the hamburger stand, I suddenly lost my appetite. I turned around and headed back to the office, in a fast pace as yesterday. Just before I got to the building, the two men were still by the grate. I tapped the older man on the shoulder and he looked up at me, obviously freezing.

I took the long, gray overcoat off and draped it over him without saying a word. As I walked away, I knew that my challenge had been met. The few steps back to my office made my teeth chatter. But, you know, it was one of the warmest trips I have ever made in my life.

Copyright Harrison Kelly. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.

About Harrison Kelly: With two children, a wonderful wife of nineteen years, and a semi-intelligent Australian Shepard, Harrison Kelly has ample ammunition for his short story collections, Stories from a Loving Father. This first collection in a series features inspirational short stories concentrating on the warmth and comfort family and friends bring to our lives. A holiday edition will be coming out in Fall 2001. Harrison Kelly’s short stories have been published in five languages and enjoyed around the world. His first short story appeared in the #1 New York Times bestseller, A 2nd Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul. His work has also appeared in such popular series as Stories for the Heart and Whispers from Heaven. Other Christian publications that have printed his short stories include The Standard, Signs of the Times, HomeLife, Seek, and Purpose. Presently, he is working as one of the co-authors of the Boys NIV Bible with Lightwave Publications (Zondervan). You can visit his web site at: http://www.harrisonkelly.com

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