We were sitting at Waffle House, just me and my 5-year-old son, Josiah, when he spotted a man standing outside. His clothes were worn, his face tired, and he carried everything he owned in a small, tattered bag.âMom,â Josiah whispered, tugging at my sleeve. âWho is that?âglanced over. âI think he might be homeless, sweetheart.âJosiahâs little face scrunched in confusion. âWhat does that mean?ââIt means he doesnât have a home,â I explained softly. âAnd he might not have food either.â
That was all it took. Before I could stop him, Josiah jumped out of his seat and ran to the man, waving him inside like an old friend.âYou donât have a home? You can eat with us!â he said, beaming.The man hesitated, looking down at his worn-out shoes. The whole restaurant had gone quiet. I could feel people watching, waiting to see what would happen next.I nodded, smiling. âPlease, let us get you a meal.â
When the waitress came, she asked what the man wanted. Before he could even answer, Josiah excitedly said, âGet him the biggest burger we have!âBut what happened next broke me.Before the man took a single bite, Josiah said, âWait! We have to pray.â And right there, in the middle of Waffle House, my little boy bowed his head and said a blessing.
Eleven people in that restaurantâincluding the manâhad tears in their eyes. The waitress wiped her face. A truck driver in the corner shook his head, smiling. And the man? He looked at Josiah like no one had ever seen him before.Watching my son touch so many hearts that night will forever be one of my greatest moments as a parent.Because kindness doesnât need money. It doesnât need big words.
Sometimes, it just needs a 5-year-old with a big heart.But that wasnât the end of it.As we sat there, Josiah chatting away with the man as if they had been friends forever, something unexpected happened. One by one, the other diners began paying for meals and leaving extra money with the cashier.âFor anyone else who might need it,â an older woman said as she slipped a twenty onto the counter. The truck driver who had been watching earlier added a few bills of his own.
âMake sure he has enough for breakfast tomorrow,â he told the waitress.The waitress herself seemed overwhelmed, shaking her head in disbelief. âIâve worked here for twelve years,â she murmured. âIâve never seen anything like this.âJosiah, blissfully unaware of the ripple effect he had caused, just grinned as the man finally took a bite of his burger. âGood, huh?â he asked.
