Awake to His Presence
Upon leaving the store and heading towards our van, we collectively uttered a few “Oh no’s.” Once again, someone had absent mindedly parked their car and took up more than half of the much needed space next to our van. Usually irritated and overcome with a heightened sense of justice, I was surprisingly at peace on this lovely Fall Monday morning as we neared the car parked in the no-parking zone.
Interesting. The driver door was open but the owner of the vehicle was nowhere to be found. Making my way around to the other side of the car, I discovered the driver. She was halfway inside the back seat and appeared to be looking for something. I spoke up politely, telling her we were parked next to her and needed the space to deploy my wheelchair ramp. She worked her way out of the back seat to stand up and face us.
A pleasant, middle-aged woman, she was dressed in red pants, a red jacket, a red shirt and a red scarf softly wrapped around her neck. Glittering silver eye shadow covered her eye lids up to her brows, creating a perfect festive holiday look.
“I’m looking for my handicapped placard to hang on the mirror. I know I’m not parked right. But it must be here somewhere. My family went to see “The Wiz” yesterday and we had it with us. I know it must be here someplace but I just can’t find it.”
With hearts growing more tender by the moment, we kindly explained to her we needed space to deploy my ramp. She circled the car to get to the drivers side, but instead of getting into her car, she shut the door. “Oh is this your van?” “Yes ma’am, it is,” we replied. “And it has a ramp that needs to come out so I can get into it.” “You don’t say”, she said. “It has a ramp that comes out?”
When it became obvious she wasn’t going to move her car, we decided to change course. “You stay where you are and we’ll back up our van.” So Tim got into the van and backed it up just far enough to deploy the ramp.
“Well, would you look at that,” she exclaimed as she watched the van door open up and the ramp slide out. “Where did you get this?”, she asked. “My mother-in-law is bed ridden and we want to get her up and take her out. Can we rent one of these?”, she asks.
Now the back of our van is sticking half-way out into the parking lot. But not to worry. Our new friend was standing behind the van, arms up, waving to stop the approaching cars filled with irritated drivers searching for a parking space. I hurriedly zoomed up the ramp so Tim could close it back up and move out of the way of the soon-to-be-HomeGoods-shoppers who were getting angrier by the minute.
Enthralled by the possibility of being able to transport her ailing mother-in-law, she appeared to be oblivious to the parking lot traffic jam we were causing. “Who can I call about renting one of these?” We gave her the name of the company in town who sells conversion vans. Not sure she would remember this information, I searched frantically for something to write it on but to no avail. No paper was to be found in either my purse or in the car. I breathed a silent prayer asking God to help her remember.
“Thank you! Thank you! This has been a divine appointment from God Himself.” We totally agreed and wished her blessings. Thankful we were all still alive, I waved good-bye and she blew back kisses.
I was immediately reminded of our Pastor’s message the day before. “God is the greater context of everything.” I’m trying to live each day more awake to God’s presence and more aware of His actions, especially in unexpected places. Two questions I ask myself each night before I go to sleep are, “Where did I see God working in my life today and when did I hear Him speak?” It brought such a huge smile to my face, knowing I had such a clear answer to this question on this particular evening. And it reminded me of the season we’ll soon be embracing.
Christmas. Immanuel. God with us.
What About You?
Reflect upon a time you may have found God in an unexpected place or situation.
What was God telling you through this surprise encounter?
How can you become more aware that God is the greater context of everything that happens to us?
