A Date With Destiny During An Unexpected Detour - Grace, Gratitude & Random Acts of Kindness
Hope Infusion Newsletter ~ September 17th Edition
We sometimes meet destiny during an unexpected detour, and discover along the way, that what may have seemed like a random decision at the outset — has not so random implications in the longer term.
This story is about one such decision, and one such detour — and the not so random implications which accrued to my benefit.
My husband and I were returning from a road trip and I was aggravated — tired of being in the car, tired of weaving in and out of traffic, tired of the choices he was making in that moment!
He exited the highway to use the bathroom, then proceeded to bypass countless businesses which met that need. He hates public restrooms, but deems those in hotel lobbies to be the best of the worst. He continued driving till he spotted a Holiday Inn Express; And I waited in the car while he dashed inside — impatiently calculating a tally of all the bathrooms passed and time wasted to get to this one.
Then our car malfunctioned…..
He’d been gone mere minutes, but in that time, our car, which had operated seamlessly up to that point, would no longer start.
And just like that, we were stranded. And it was late afternoon on a Sunday. And we were on a rural side street in South Georgia.
We resigned ourselves to the inevitable inconvenience and trudged to the reservations desk to explain our dilemma.
“We have available rooms” the guest service rep assured us, “But you may not need one. I think I can get someone to look at your car.”
“Really? On a Sunday?”
“Yes Ma’am. Our maintenance man is a mechanic. It’s his off day, but he just dropped by. Let me see if I can reach him” We stood by, marinating in hope, as she reached for the phone and initiated a call.
A few minutes later an angel entered the lobby, but not the kind with white wings and a golden halo. Not all angels are of the celestial sort. Some are Earth Angels, flesh and blood humans who walk the earth just like you and I.
This one was clad in faded denim and a stained t-shirt, with a worn leather tool belt cinching his waist. He had calloused hands, with traces of oil under his finger nails, and a crown of thick black hair adorned with an Atlanta Braves hat.
I don’t remember the features of his face but I do remember the aura that he emanated. His most notable attributes were sensed, not seen; A Grace and generosity of spirit that raised the vibration of the room the moment he entered it. His energy made an introduction before he ever uttered a word.
Our rescuer's name was Robert — “Rob” for short. He followed us to our car, and after a few minutes of intense tinkering, assured us that the issue was one he could remedy.
“The problem is finding a replacement part when most supply stores are closed. But I may have a solution. Sit tight.” He encouraged, radiating optimism.
Rob’s solution proved successful, and a few hours later our car was repaired.
After he contacted a friend with a salvage yard. After he tasked that friend with finding a used part that met the need.
After he took us with him to retrieve the part and pick up food to eat while we waited.
After he spent the better part of his afternoon in the gracious service of complete strangers.
After all of that, we thanked him profusely, asked what we owed him, and were stunned by his one word response: “Nothing!”
“Had y’all gotten here a few minutes later, I wouldn’t even have been here. So I figure I was meant to help you. I’m not gonna charge for that.”
I was moved by his generosity. But I considered his time, his gas, and the replacement part he’d secured for us. I considered that we were prepared to pay for a room, a tow truck, and the services of a professional repair shop. I didn’t want to offend. But I also didn’t want to let his efforts on our behalf go unrewarded.
“I appreciate your generosity,” I began tentatively, “but are you at least open to us giving you a gift? A love offering for your effort?”
He agreed, and I made a withdrawal from the hotel lobby ATM, then pressed a folded stack of $20’s into his hand — gazing intently into the galaxy of his dark eyes, and seeing a universe of kindness reflected back to me.
We reiterated our collective gratitude. He reiterated that it had been a pleasure to help. And we resumed our journey homeward — hearts overflowing with thankfulness; Awed by our experience with Rescue Rob and his random acts of kindness.
This close encounter of the angelic kind occurred back in 2013 but returned to my remembrance this week as I pondered several of acts of incivility I've witnessed of late.
I’ve seen employees eviscerated by the burning anger of customers lashing out over issues that are not their fault and not within their span of control.
I’ve seen two co-workers get into a shouting match so fierce in intensity that all present fell silent with alarm, as a manager struggled to diffuse the altercation.
I’ve seen patrons of a department store nearly come to blows over an accusation about an iPhone, while the Store Manager threatened to call police and onlookers watched in horror.
We live in a time of simmering rage, inflammatory rhetoric, and recurrent tension in which it seems that everyone is mad at someone about something they said or didn’t say, believe or don’t believe, support or don’t support, did or didn’t do.
I believe my soul opened the vault of stored memory and retrieved this forgotten encounter as an antidote to the numerous displays of negativity and nastiness I’ve witnessed in recent weeks
It was a welcome reminder that divine order and timing are real, that earth angels dwell among us, and that random acts of kindness, and the loving souls who perpetuate them are as close as the nearest stranger!
Sometimes we need to be reminded of what we forgot we already knew. Sometimes we are the angel, the miracle, the answer to prayer that another soul in our orbit of relationships desperately needs
Sometimes it pays to pause and ponder the ways in which Divine Providence acts as a precise compass guiding us to the right place, at the right time, to receive the right assistance, from the right person.
It’s Pronoia, the opposite of paranoia — the belief that the Universe is conspiring in your favor.
Being human is a given, but choosing to SEE the humanity in others is a choice.
We knew nothing about Rob’s faith, beliefs, world view or political persuasion, and he was equally ignorant of ours. We knew nothing of one another’s history, but we connected with one another’s humanity.
When he engaged us with his selfless act of kindness, we went from being three disconnected strangers to three humans connected at the heart level.
Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change.1 And I can think of no time during my five decades on this planet when displays of kindness and making intentional efforts at understanding our fellow humans were more needed or consequential than they are now!
Thank You Rescue Rob, wherever you may now be, for 2013’s timely and tangible example and reminder!
Quote by Bob Kerrey
My heart so needed this today. Just took a moment to play catch up with a week's or more worth of emails and this jewel popped up! Love your musings, always!