Through different eyes

There's this older man that walks in our area. He has a green painted wagon, large wheels with poles on each side painted red and white. It's a new cart, I suspect someone made it for him. He carries a stick and picks up garbage. Honestly, when I would see this man, I would make the kids come in and be even afraid to look at him. I can't explain why- ignorance I guess. He almost looks homeless, but I know he lives out here somewhere. You will see him along the highway all the way into town with this wagon. Well, today I watched him. He was picking up little tiny pieces of garbage next to my neighbor's property along the roadside. The garbage he picked up was likely cigarette butts, glass, and then larger items that you could see. Living out here, we have ignorant people that toss fast food containers or beer cans out into the ditches.
He would pick up this tiny garbage and sorted in several bags on his wagon. Then he's take two more steps and stoop over for another piece. A daunting thing to say the least! And on he goes like this every two steps bending over and sorting for at least six miles. I've seen him working at Elmer's grocery store, but I know not his name. My neighbor told me that once he picked him up with his new car and he urinated on his new seats. He warned us to not give him a ride and that he had a drinking problem.
So as I watched him today, tears fell. Here was this man, at least in his late 70's, bending over picking up trash probably on his way to work. He must have to leave three hours before he can get seven miles to town! And yet as he is able, he does this day and day out, waving at cars along the way. I see him in the late afternoon on his way back home, picking up the miniscual pieces he missed. Why does he care, why does he do this? There's no reward, probably no one thanks him, and even myself, I shuddered to look at him because he wasn't marked with beauty. I feared for my children's safety, but today something changed in me. And I know it was this verse that is working in my heart. It's this part of a reading in Romans 12:9-18.
Verse 15: Rejoice with those who rejoice;mourn with those who mourn. 16:Live in harmony with one another. Don't be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

"Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position."

I know I'm guilty of doing this. If people are not like me, I don't go out of my way to associate with them. I shiver when I see people digging in garbages, when I should pray for them! So I prayed for this man this morning. And tomorrow if I see him, I'm going to make a point of saying hello.