I received the following in an email from my sister-in-law, Paula:
This was written by a Metro Denver Hospice Physician:
I was driving home from a meeting this evening about 5, stuck in traffic on Colorado Blvd. and the car started to choke and sputter and die. I barely managed to coast 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. 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, "I 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, I 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 boyfriend left 2 months ago and she had not been able to make ends meet. She knew she wouldn't have money to pay rent come January 1st, and finally, in desperation, called her parents, with whom she had not spoken to 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 and loaded her car down. 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.
Sometimes the angels fly close enough to you that you can hear the flutter of their wings....
Psalm 55:22 says: Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.
Once I read Psalm 55:22, I had to dissect it.
Cast your cares on the Lord (Webster defines "cast" as: to cause to move or send forth by throwing; to deposit) and He will sustain you (Webster defines "sustain" as: to give support or relief to; to supply with sustenance; to support the weight of); He will never let the righteous fall. (Webster defines "righteous" as: acting in accord with divine or moral law; free from guilt or sin.
Sounds easy enough don't 'cha think? No? Well, I agree. I forget that my time and God's time aren't always the same...ok..they are NEVER the same. I want what I want...when I want it. Afterall, who knows what I need better then I do...right? O wait, on second thought, maybe the God of the universe knows better...maybe the all knowing God knows better. And I hate interruptions to my day. How many times has something happened to "interrupt" your day? We've gotten a flat tire? Run out of gas? Locked the keys in the car? I'm sure I could go on and on, but I won't. You get the picture. And...how many times have we viewed that "interruption" as just that...an INTERRUPTION, and not something greater.
I'll be the first to admit that my life is chaotic!! It seems at time I can't hear myself think, much less hear the flutter of angels' wings. But, maybe, just maybe, that's when God says, "Ok Rita, time to slow down" and He allows me to get a cold that puts me in bed for a day or so. Or He allows me to have a flat tire or run out of gas or a million different other things. It's during these times, during these "interruptions" that instead of getting angry about the interruption, I should stop...take a deep breath...and just be still and listen. Listen for the voice of God. Listen for the flutter of angels' wings.
And that is my prayer for my 2010. That I recognize the "interruptions" not as interruptions, but as opportunities. Opportunities to be still ~ even if only for 5 minutes ~ but be still nonetheless.....and listen.
Until next time....
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