|
Friday Tale - Be
an Angel
I was driving home from
a meeting one evening about 5, stuck in traffic on Colorado Blvd., and the
car started to choke and splutter and die - I barely managed to coast,
cursing, into a gas station, glad only that I would not be blocking traffic
and would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck. It wouldn't
even turn over. Before I could make the call, I saw a woman walking out of
the "quickie mart" building, and it looked like she slipped on
some ice and fell into a gas pump, so I got out to see if she was okay.
When
I got there, it looked more like she had been overcome by sobs than that
she had fallen; she was a young woman who looked really haggard with dark
circles under her eyes. She dropped something as I helped her up, and I
picked it up to give it to her. It was a nickel.
At
that moment, everything came into focus for me: the crying woman, the
ancient Suburban crammed full of stuff with 3 kids in the back (1 in a car
seat), and the gas pump reading $4.95.
I
asked her if she was okay and if she needed help, and she just kept saying
"don't want my kids to see me crying," so we stood on the other
side of the pump from her car. She said she was driving to California and
that things were very hard for her right now. So I asked, "And you
were praying?" That made her back away from me a little, but I assured
her I was not a crazy person and said, "He heard you, and He sent
me."
I
took out my card and swiped it through the card reader on the pump so she
could fill up her car completely, and while it was fueling, walked to the
next door McDonald's and bought 2 big bags of food, some gift certificates
for more, and a big cup of coffee. She gave the food to the kids in the
car, who attacked it like wolves, and we stood by the pump eating fries and
talking a little.
She
told me her name, and that she lived in Kansas City. Her husband left
2 months ago and she had not been able to make ends meet. She knew she
wouldn't have money to pay rent Jan 1, and finally in desperation had
finally called her parents, with whom she had not spoken in about 5 years.
They lived in California and said she could come live with them and try to
get on her feet there.
So
she packed up everything she owned in the car. She told the kids they were
going to California for Christmas, but not that they were going to live
there.
I
gave her my gloves, a little hug and said a quick prayer with her for
safety on the road. As I was walking over to my car, she said, "So,
are you like an angel or something?"
This
definitely made me cry. I said, "Sweetie, at this time of year angels are
really busy, so sometimes God uses regular people."
It
was so incredible to be a part of someone else's miracle. And of course,
you guessed it, when I got in my car it started right away and got me home
with no problem. I'll put it in the shop tomorrow to check, but I suspect
the mechanic won't find anything wrong..
Sometimes
the angels fly close enough to you that you can see the white of their
clothes....
~ Steve Goodier
Cast your burden on the LORD
and He will
sustain you.
He will never
suffer the
righteous to be
shaken.
~ Psalm 50:23
|
Comments
Post a Comment