Blessings In Disguise

Today was another blessing. As I was leaving work this afternoon, I noticed an elderly man trying to cross a busy stretch of highway 61. I stopped, rolled down my window and asked if he was okay and tried to find out more information to get this man off the busy road. The man was walking to the bank across town and walking to the clinic in the next town for his flu shot. I did not want this man to walk all that way so, I offered him a ride. At that time, another vehicle pulled up behind me and a gentleman exited his vehicle to help this elderly man into my vehicle.

I wasn’t planning on picking up an elderly man and bringing him to a few errands but that’s what I did today between working two jobs. He kept calling me his angel. Told me that he has walked that far before and not one person would stop and ask him if he needed help. This man was using a walker and clearly could not walk very well. I couldn’t imagine not stopping to help! What if this man has Alzheimer’s or dementia? What if he just wandered outside not knowing where he was going or where he was at?

I gave him a ride to the bank and waited for him to return. He told me to leave because it would take him a long time in the bank because he walks slowly. I told him I would wait because I don’t want him walking to Wyoming. He was surprised to see that I had indeed waited for him and he would have a ride to the clinic for his flu shot.

I learned that he died at 73 and came back and has been waiting for 2 years to find out his purpose in life. He’s now 75 and wants to know why God brought him back. He’s retired, doesn’t drive but I came to later learn that his wife does drive and is very independent. He doesn’t like to burden anyone and will not rely on anyone for help (I chuckle inside because I’m helping him today). He said that God will bless me in ways no one knows yet but only God knows.

I pull up to the clinic and grab his walker from the back of the truck. He refused my hand when offering him assistance out of the truck. He tapped me on the shoulder and called me an angel for helping him today. I reminded him to call someone for a ride home, “I don’t want you walking home now. You better have a ride home.” Reluctantly, he agreed and said, “Okay. I won’t walk home. I’ll get a ride.”

This evening after work, I read today’s chapter in The Purpose Driven Life was about trusting in God and His ways. The inconveniences, trials, circumstances, and situations in life are there for a reason. We don’t need to know the reason but they are there to teach us lessons in life. It is up to use whether we worry, or are afraid, or want to control a situation, or if we just give it to God and let Him have control. I was placed there for a reason. Whatever reason it was, I wasn't going to pass up this opportunity to help this elderly man.

I have to remind myself to take everything in stride. Before I leave for work I have a quick conversation with God asking for his will – it’s gonna go your way God, just give me the strength to get through it. I already know I can’t control it. I lost the one person I loved more than anything because no matter how hard I held on, it wasn’t up to me. It was God’s purpose, His timing, and the only thing we do when we take control of our lives is fuck it up. We think we can do it without Him and we are wrong.

When I walked away from God, taking no thought to Him what-so-ever, my quality of life went down. I experienced more struggles, more fear, and doubt. Depression, defeat, and sadness entered my life. This happened on and off throughout my life – having a close relationship of prayer and thankfulness to no prayer or communication. I prayed faithfully every night until I moved out on my own at 18. Then the prayers came at holidays and during times of suffering. It was not until recently that I began taking this prayer thing more seriously. And since I’ve taken it more seriously, my life has begun to shift in ways I cannot explain. 

My shoulders are lighter, I don’t feel weighed down. I genuinely have faith that everything will happen as it is supposed to happen and I will be okay. I’ve survived the worse times of my life and come out feeling happy – I could have never imagined feeling this free.

#blessings, #angel, #unexpected, #God, #prayer, #belief, #journey, #life, #faith