Looking Into The Eyes of Humanity

My perspective, so flawed.

Damaged, broken, jaded.

Hope for the best, never surprised by what is revealed.

It is when moments like the one I had the other day really make my mind pause, my heart change, my love grow… I have changed, I realize, and don’t see the world quite the same.

I observed the usual seemingly ordinary, on a non-ordinary day, once showing itself in a very different view, but now it has become transformed.

Connecting more to you, to Him, than I realized.

The day that did not go as planned in so many ways, ended up planned to be the perfect day.

My plans interrupted. Missed appointment, stuck in an area of town for hours until a wheelchair accessible cab could come pick me up, forgot my purse as I was rushing out the door with my Bible to finish the Bible study reading, and a $5 bill I found in it.

I walk down the street (no, not literally people, this is just how I talk ;) a few blocks to get inside and get warm someplace, and get some coffee while I wait the 2 hrs its supposed to take for the cab that usually takes 15 minutes (all but one of their wheelchair cabs were in the shop). This all began with my appointment 25 minutes from home that had been canceled, and had I checked my voicemail like I should have, I would have known about and stayed home.

I would have stayed home and missed what the day would throw my way.

D you ever get to that point of frustration where you just want to cry when you can’t think of anything else in the seemingly beyond frustrating moment? This rarely happens to me. It happened this day. I was annoyed I didn’t check my voicemail, annoyed the cab would cost me close to $40 one way to get home (the disabled bus is normal bus rate but needs to be reserved a day ahead, not for last minute things), annoyed this is the one day I forgot my purse, annoyed I was freezing cold with $5 on me for lunch and didn’t want fast food (dare I go there, that seems so petty now), and honestly annoyed I’d only brought my Bible to read for the next couple of hrs.

I figure I’m not just going to sit there outside some office building for 2 hrs, so I make the ride down the sidewalk a few blocks to Starbucks. I could not reach the buttons at the crosswalk and with traffic going all directions, I was leery on trusting what light was for who in the crazy intersection.

Two ladies come up, and start talking to me in Spanish. I can understand Spanish much better then speak it. Kind words asking how my day was, observing my Bible, and that it was pink and brown leather (new TNIV pocket version ;)

Kind strangers, leading the way…

I go up part of the curb that is buckled and then find myself stuck. The ladies have passed. It’s me at the mercy of the traffic.

A kind man on a motorcycle stops, gets off his bike to help me, and walks beside me to the next curb cut, and then simply leaves me with “God bless You”…

I make it down the bus street to Starbucks, go in and order a decaf iced latte. I have no place for change so tell her she can keep it. My 20 cents or so took her aback, but I was the thankful one.

I sit down, and they bring me my drink, and a pastry “on them”. My drink was hot, not iced as ordered, but I didn’t care at this point and that had become trivial in their kindness.

I soon realize the drink and pastry are too far away on the table for me to reach without standing (yeah, not happening). As I’m devising a plan of using the fork to scoot it towards me, another man appears.

Another kind stranger, placing my drink and food in from of me, another “God bless you”…

I wondered who else had noticed the Bible I had with me after this. Somebody did notice though.

An older woman passing by glances over and sees me reading. She asks what part I am reading. I was reading the book of Acts. She states she has never read her Bible in public, but found it as a blessing to her to see another reading His word for all to see.

I am touched as she walks away…

I arrive home, pay the large taxi fare that in the beginning had annoyed me I’d have to be paying, but realize my day took a direction that was unexpected and enlightening.

I saw God’s grace, his glory, his love, his kindness…

In a few short hours, I saw a bit of humanity I longed was still there.