We're not homeless. I just forgot my shoes.

Today I was talking with some friends and we were talking about poor living conditions that people have to live in. It reminded me about a situation that happened about three or four years ago.

My husband was out of town and the kids and I were in the "Dad-is-out-of-town-mode". This is where you let dishes sit, eat mac-n-cheese and not care too much about what is going on when I realized we were running late for violin lessons. "Everyone, head to the van!"

We all ran to the car in scummy clothes, in fact one girl had on only a long t shirt. Our faces were not washed and we were only half fed.

After lessons, which ran real late, I said, "Hey kids lets go eat junk food at Los Favoritos." We never had done this and I thought who cares if we make it to bed on time etc.

We got to Los Favoritos and I realized I forgot my purse at home in our rush out. I got the emergency $5 out of hiding and some change. We get inside and study the menu intensely to see what we can get for 5 bucks and some change. We decided we'd share some nachos. I noticed you could for a $1 more get beef added to the nachos. Very enthusiastically, I proclaimed, "Tonight's our lucky night. We can get meat on the nachos." We all started saying "Meat.. Meat.. Meat"

The six of us huddled around a table. K and C sitting on the table. We scarfed the nachos. As any big family knows you eat fast so you get more. Eating slow gets you nothing. When we were finished, we we were still "hungry". I looked at the kids and said, "You know I don't have any more money."

The kids said that there was more change in the van.

Two of the kids went out to the van and dug up more change. We laid it all out and figured we had enough for a second helping of nachos. I teased, "Too, bad kiddos, not enough for meat this time."

We ate the nachos and giggled and laughed. We realized C didn't have pants on. She left her pants in the car. (Probably another very interesting story.)

We headed to the car and this nice Muslim man approached me very respectful with his head slightly bowed and said, " Excuse me mam, can I talk to you?"

I went over to him and he said he didn't want to embarrass me or show any signs of disrespect but he saw that we were hungry and wanted to help. He said he ordered a pizzafor us from the Dominos Pizza we were standing in front of and it would be ready in five minutes. I tried to graciously explain that we were OK --just snacking.

He then approached the children and asked, "Do you love pizza? I have an extra. Please tell your mom it is OK to have the pizza." They all looked at me and I nodded that it would be OK. I didn't know what to do. He was trying to be kind and what he thought helpful. He said to wait a minute and went back in the pizza place. We could see him pointing at us and talking.

I whispered, "I think he thinks we are poor and hungry." I looked at C and noticed for the first time in 2 hours that not only she didn't have pants on she didn't have any shoes on. I asked her where they were. She said she left in a hurry and forgot to wear them. Sheepishly, I said, "With the way we were acting, the way the van looks and we look, he probably thinks we live in our van."

The man comes out and the kids, as instructed, tell him thank you and God Bless. He thanks me for letting him help us and as he walks away. C runs up to him and says,"We're not homeless. I just forgot my shoes." He nods not understanding a word she said and says, "You're welcome"

The pizza person leaves the store and hands us the pizza and says the gentlemen said that this was for the nice family.

We giggled and laughed in the van all the way home. We did pray over the pizza and thanked the gentleman who helped the hungry family that night.

When I got home tonight, I asked the kids if they remembered the pizza man and M and I told the story to my husband as if he never knew it. He kindly listened as we had a fun sharing the story even though it wasn't new.

M told me that she had told a friend about that night and her friends' tag line for her email is -- We're not homeless, I just forgot my shoes C. W.

We may not have been physically hungry that night. We needed spiritual food. How close we felt pigging out over the nachos and how much love was passed by that gentlemen to us was the perfect meal.

His love and reaching out still feeds us today.