'Friends are God's way of taking care of us

[Guest guest]

'Friends are God's way of taking

 

care of us.'

 

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, cruising, 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 a 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 fuelling, 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 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.

4:46 PM 4/19/2009