My mom has always told me that angels show up in our lives in a lot of different shapes, forms and fashions.
Here is a quick story where that was the case…literally (especially in regards to fashion).
When I was 19 years old, my truck broke down on the interstate near Downtown Dallas. My alternator had gone out, totally draining my battery. I was trapped on the inside shoulder of I-35 during rush hour traffic. I had no idea what to do. I just sat in my truck, suffering from paralysis by analysis. (Keep in mind, cell phones were just a twinkle in Mr. Samsung’s eye in 1994.)
After about 20 minutes, an old beat up Chevy pickup pulled in front of me on the inside shoulder. A nice Hispanic man wearing a New Kids on the Block t-shirt got out. (Yes, Donnie Wahlberg, Joey McIntyre and the rest of the boys.)
As he approached my truck, he motioned for me to pop the hood. I did. Then, I got out and we engaged in a back-and-forth dialogue that was highlighted by his broken English and showcased my B average in high school Spanish.
His plan: Take the battery out of his truck and put it in mine, put my dead battery in his truck and let his alternator charge my battery while I followed him south on I-35. We agreed on which exit to pull off the freeway.
It sounded logical to me, but I’m an idiot when it comes to car maintenance.
“Por favor … no dejar … er … drive away,” he said before our two-truck caravan was devoured by the rush hour chaos.
About 20 miles down the road, we pulled over again and he swapped the batteries back. His very trusting plan went off without a hitch. My battery had charged enough to get me home.
I thanked him profusely, but he refused to take any money from me.
“Yo trabajo para la vida … er … I work for a living,” he said as he closed the hood of his truck, jumped into the driver’s seat and sped away.
As I drove home, I was so confused by what had just happened. All I knew is that I had an extremely grateful heart, and I desperately wanted to share this story with my mom.
“An angel wearing a New Kids on the Block t-shirt, huh?” she asked rhetorically with a smirk as she made dinner. She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye and smiled a little bigger.
In one random encounter on the shoulder of I-35, this nice gentleman validated my mom’s strong belief about "earthly angels."
Why am I reliving this story 30 years later?
First of all … I recently had another encounter with one of these "earthly angels." I’ll save that tale for another blog post, but that recent interaction made me remember my NKOTB-loving angel who showed up near Downtown Dallas.
Secondly … I wanted to put a small twist on my mom’s claim that these "earthly angels" walk among us.
I don’t think these people are actually angelic. Sorry, Mom. I simply think they are kind souls showing up in a dark world. I think they’re good-hearted people looking for opportunities to bless others. These “angels” have just pulled their heads out of the sand and embraced an opportunity to be kind to another human being.
Here is the beautiful part of the story … anyone can do this. I can be an “earthly angel.” So can you.
All we have to do is be ready and willing to be kind. All we have to do is look for those opportunities to show kindness. Like my friend at the Random Act of Kindness Foundation reiterated once, “We just need to do what we can … with what we have … where we are.”
Who knew that being an “earthly angel” was so easy?
Be kind!
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