I had a blowout while driving today. Miraculously crossing over six lanes of freeway, I had barely settled to a stop when a young man pulled up and stepped over to my car. In today's times, I'm never quite sure about anyone who approaches me, no matter the circumstances, but this young man, Scott, was wonderful. With a beautiful, unthreatening demeanor, he worked with confidence and skill in handling my car and the remnants of my tire. When finished, he had given up just under an hour of his day and stood before me covered in grease and road sludge. I fall into the category of those who rarely carry cash and did not have as much as a rag to offer him to clean his hands. I tried emptying my purse: two gift cards to a burger place, some mostly used Starbucks cards. I offered to follow him to a gas station and fill up his car. I felt totally inadequate. In retrospect, I did sacrifice the t-shirt I had in my car to cover the wheel so grease would not get into my trunk. The thoughtful act would have been to offer it to Scott and simply clean my trunk later.
Why am I beating myself up over this? Scott was my angel. He was the one that God chose to place in my life right at that moment. The true sacrifice of our Lord was very apparent in this beautiful stranger. He lifted me out of a desperate moment and I was found completely inadequate and so wrapped up in my "stuff" that I could not even offer him a rag to wash his hands. I am ashamed.
For countless reasons, I am very thankful God saw fit to spare my life today. Mostly, I shudder to think of what I would say if I were to see Him face to face right now. I feel certain that when He would reach out to hold me, my tears would be pouring into nail marks smeared with grease.
So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." - John 20:25
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