One of the themes in many fairy tales I read as a child, was where the main character was met by some hideous, odious, or ugly stranger. As the main character treated them with kindness, the hideous person transformed into a beautiful prince, fairy godmother, queen, etc. and all goodness was bestowed upon the kind character. I have had reason to reflect on several incidences where I've met people that others have rejected.
Incident 1: The Transgender Therapist
I admit, I have been very homophobic. Imagine my surprise, when I walked into my breathing therapy and heard the telltale voice of one who is neither male or female, but through hormone therapy has a characteristic voice of someone who has changed genders. I was a bit horrified to be assigned that therapist that day. Who was he or she? The person had a female name and had previously been married to a man, but the person dressed and had a male body. I had an overwhelming desire to know whether this person was biologically male or female, and to know whether they identified themself as a male or female. I felt a nervous awkwardness. I didn't know what to say or do.
(I once had made the mistake of calling a similar person the wrong pronoun in a restaurant, and was sure I must have embarrassed that person...so I wanted to know...but in the knowing, I surely would embarrass this person even more. So I didn't ask, I just talked, joked, and treated them just like any of the regular therapists. Time went on, and I found that person to be a very competent, enjoyable person to be around. I don't know to this day what their gender was, or is...but I did find out that they were a human being, a child of God, and I treated them and love them like I would treat anyone else.
Incident 2: Anthony
There is a 16-yr. old youth that Mike and I 'inherited' from the previous El Centro Hispano. We were told he came from a troubled home, and this was his safe place. He was the middle child with 7 children, ranging from 19 years to 6 mos. He kind of hung around the computer class, didn't participate in any class, but just played on the computer the entire 4 hours we were at El Centro, then would leave. He spoke English...had long, dark, silky, wavy hair half-way down his back. When Mike quit teaching the computer class, he would go in a separate room with a computer all to himself. I remember telling Mike that was not appropriate, that he should be in a public room...so Mike made it happen. All was going well, when one day, he stole 2 laptops. Mike was livid. He didn't come around for a few days, until the dad brought him back...with the computers, and said, "He steals things. That's what he does." Mike got the dad's phone number.
Well, he started coming to play computer again, but now Mike was very leery of him. Then, one day, they were missing a computer and looking for him, and hadn't seen him leave. The dad called Mike, and said he had kicked his son out and didn't know where he was. Mike went around the entire Church building, checking every room and calling his name. No answer. Anthony didn't come around for several days, so Mike called the dad to see if he had ever come home. The dad said, yes.
Soon Anthony started coming again. Mike asked him where he had gone the night he was kicked out of his house. He said he had stayed over night at the church! Anthony had heard them calling his name, but he had hid. Mike had a talk with him about the liability of him staying in the church and to never do that again. Michael did not like him.
BUT, all the while Mike was dealing with him, I would see him waiting for us and upon seeing our car, a look of joy would cross his face. I would see him carry in all our supplies. I would see him set up all the tables and chairs. One day it took him 1 hour to single-handedly take down chairs from the entire gym, put all the tables in all the rooms, and seat chairs around them. I would see him politely talk to me. One time I even was trying to figure something out written on the chalkboard (thinking it was Spanish) and he came over to me and said, "It's not Spanish, it's Latin. This is what it says." and he proceeded to tell me. Whereupon, I asked how he knew Latin. He said he had a year of it in high school and had read all these Latin books.
One day I heard Mike's curt responses to Anthony and I knew Mike didn't like him...but I did. I saw the good in him. So I want to the temple (the next day was our shift) and I prayed for Anthony in the Celestial Room. I wanted to know what I could do for him. I felt an overwhelming feeling that I needed to give him a Book of Mormon. So strong was that urging, that I bought one that week and wrote a type-written 2-page letter to him, including my testimony of Christ, my testimony of the Book of Mormon, and my testimony of Anthony being a child of God, and I listed some of his good qualities.
The next day, I brought the Book of Mormon, with the letter glued in the first pages. I read Mike what I had written, and his response was, "I'm glad you see some redeeming quality in him, because I sure don't."
When we got to the church, there was Anthony, waiting to help us. As he set up my room, I told him that I had prayed for him, and was told to give him this book...and I handed it to him. I told him to read the letter in the front, as well as the book. He was setting up the classes, and set it aside, but thanked me. I was a bit disappointed that he did not stay the entire time, but left early. I didn't know if he took the book,...but it wasn't there when I looked.
The next week he came back and told Mike that he had got in an argument with his dad the night I gave him the Book of Mormon, and his dad had forbid him from coming to our church anymore. In the argument, the dad said, "They aren't teaching you anything."
Then Anthony pulled out the Book of Mormon, and said, "This is what they are teaching me, dad." The dad looked at the book. (I don't know if he read the front letter from me) but he gave Anthony back the Book of Mormon and said he could keep coming. He even bought him a Bible to read in addition to the Book of Mormon...and he is reading.
Incident 3: The transient, bi-polar stranger
I was running an errand, and in the process of returning to my room, was met by a bra-less mess of a short-bulky woman--missing teeth, except the two rotten incisors in the front. She came into our building and immediately expounded on her love of the Savior. She never quit talking. She expounded on several names of Christ--the Messiah, Savior, King, her Redeemer, and continued telling the love she felt for Him. She said she was bi-polar and sometimes felt darkness and alone, but when she prayed to God, He would always come to bring her comfort.
In the process of her spiel, Mike and the other people looked away, refusing to converse with her. I (who needed to get to my class) kept answering her, which encouraged her to keep talking. I finally said, "I can tell you have been raised to know who Jesus Christ is."
She replied, "Nothing brings me greater joy that to hear you say that. That is why I am. That is what I want to share."
Then she asked for a drink of water...and as she left to get a drink, Mike said to the other person in the room, "My wife is the compassionate one of the two of us"...and they laughed...then he said to me "She just wanted water. She's here all the time."
Reflection: When I got home, I reflected on these experiences as I was praying and pondering. I was reminded in my mind of the fairy tales where different repulsive strangers were met, and it was a test to see if one would act kindly, or with callous uncaring. As I saw these characters (my strangers) in my mind, the words that came to me were, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
I wept. "Then in a moment to my view, the stranger started from disguise, the tokens in his hands I knew, the Savior stood before mine eyes. He spake, and my poor name he named, "Of me thou hast not been ashamed. These deeds shall thy memorial be. Fear not, thou didst them unto me."