Today She Was Wearing a Coat

Every day for the last couple of weeks while driving to work, I have passed a young girl waiting for a school bus. She has only been wearing a black sweatshirt. Yesterday, when I came around the corner I saw her as usual and she again only had on this black sweatshirt. It was 32 degrees. I resolved to do something. I talked to a co-worker and also called a friend who works in the building across the street from where this girl waits for the bus. My friend said that she had not noticed the girl before, but that she would watch for the bus to return in the afternoon. There is a community shelter around the corner, which might be where she is staying. The bus stop isn't in a residential area. We talked about the right way to go about getting this girl a coat.

Today when I came around the corner, she was sitting there as usual, but today she was wearing a coat. Granted it wasn't zipped up and she still had the sweatshirt on under the coat, but at least she was wearing a coat. It was 24 degrees this morning. She didn't have a hat, scarf or gloves. I called my friend when I arrived at my office thinking that she called social services or the school system.

My friend hadn't called anyone, but she and some of her co-workers will be keeping an eye on her. She said that the girl wasn't there when she arrived at work at 7:35, but at 7:45 she noticed the girl outside. I drive through between 8 and 8:15, so we've determined that she's waiting a long time for her bus. My friend will watch more closely tomorrow morning to see if she is coming from the shelter.

Anyway, I was awake at 11:30 last night thinking about the girl without a coat. If she hadn't had a coat on this morning, I was headed to Target at lunch time to get her a coat. I might still go to the store and get her some gloves, scarf and a hat.

Last night awake in my warm bed, I wondered if she was in the shelter down the street. What is her story? Where is her mother? Why is she waiting outside so long? Why doesn't she have a coat? Why didn't I go buy a coat for her yesterday? I prayed for God to take care of her. Today she was wearing a coat.