God will not forget your love of others

Hebrews 6:10 (NIV)

10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

Good works and labour proceeding from love to God are commendable; and what is done to any in the name of God shall not go unrewarded. [Matthew Henry Commentary]

In 2012, on a cold November night in Times Square, Officer Lawrence DePrimo was working a counterterrorism post when he encountered an older, barefooted homeless man. The police officer, who is normally assigned to different section of New York City, said, "I looked over and someone was laughing at this elderly [homeless] gentleman who had no socks (and) no shoes. You could see the blisters from a distance. I had two pairs of socks and I was still cold."

So, he asked the man if he had anything to cover his feet. "It's okay, Sir, I've never had a pair of shoes," the homeless man replied. "But God bless you." As the homeless man strolled away, DePrimo caught up to him and asked him his shoe size before walking into a Skechers on W. 42nd St. DiPrimo told a worker, "I'd like to buy a pair of boots, something that will last a while. I don't care what the price is." A few minutes later, the kindhearted cop bought a $100 pair of all-weather boots, size 12. A store manager later said, "We were just kind of shocked. Most of us are New Yorkers and we just kind of pass by that kind of thing. Especially in this neighborhood."

The act of kindness would have gone unnoticed and mostly forgotten, had it not been for Jennifer Foster, a tourist from Arizona. Foster said, "The officer expected NOTHING in return and did not know I was watching." Her snapshot—taken with her cellphone and posted to the New York Police Department's official Facebook page—made Officer DePrimo an overnight Internet hero. As of June, 2014, the post had attracted over 600,000 "likes" and more than 48,000 comments—a runaway hit for the NYPD. Many comments have pointed to how this simple act of kindness has "restored my faith in humanity." [David Goodman, "Photo of Officer Giving Boots to Barefoot Man Warms Hearts Online," The New York Times (11-28-12); Amanda Mickelberg, "NYPD Officer Larry DePrimo immortalized in tourist's photo ..." New York Post (12-18-12)]

God has placed each one of us here for a purpose in life. Maybe that purpose is to teach or to lead or to buy a man a pair a boots. Whatever your purpose is know that God will not forget the love you have shown Him as you have helped others. God bless each one of you for good deeds done for another.