We hugged each other after, encouraged each other, and went our separate ways. It was a welcome reminder for myself to not be so absorbed in my own world all the time and to approach all things with a thankful heart. Happy holidays!
Edit:
When we sat down for dinner, I told him that I always say grace before meals so if I could give thanks for us. He said "I was hoping you would" so I led him in a prayer. He told me about how he used to believe in God but then became firmly rooted against God. He said that he wants to start getting back though and this was a sign from God that he is there.
He threw an envelope on the table and told me to open it. Inside was a $20, a subway gift card, and a business card for Venture Christian Church. He told me he got that no more than 10 minutes before I met him. We then started talking about faith and he told me his favorite Bible stories are of Joseph, Daniel, and Job. He said because the bible always referred to them as being "rich in the spirit". I told him that what makes their story incredible is that they all started "rich in the world". Having everything in the world and then brought down to nothing, and still being able to be "rich in the spirit" is truly the essence of the story. I said it's easy for people to be religious or faithful or thankful when everything is perfect, but being able to call out to God and be strongly rooted during the downtimes is the true test.
I've never really done this before and I found myself so unprepared to share my testimony and my faith on the spot. But our conversation was just as good of a reminder to myself as it was encouragement to him. By the end of our evening, it sounded like he had a very different outlook on Christians. Praise the Lord!
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