The Date:July 19, 2009; 12:20 p.m.,
Central Standard Time
The Place:The Bridge, Dallas' Homeless Shelter
The Human Form:A big black guy, sporting a gold
tooth, who looked like he could smoosh me with one hand
Dear
Girlfriends,
It is only
fitting that I end this series on my angel-sightings with the first one that
really caught my attention.
As was
typical on a third Sunday, Steve and I were serving lunch to our city's
homeless; Steve was slinging hash behind the serving line and, as was
customary, I was playing waitress as I raced around the dining hall refilling
water glasses.
My
customers and I have grown comfortable with one another. I know that for the
most part, they're good people who have just fallen on tough times, and they
believe I'm Sandy Duncan. Regardless of my protests, they're convinced. Geez - how
embarrassing to be 50 years old and have the physique of Peter Pan!
Anyway - on that hot July afternoon, I was
"in the zone", running around the room with my water pitcher (you can imagine
trying to rehydrate 500 people when it's 100 degrees outside), when I saw a
woman place her tray on the table a few feet away. New to our lunch patrons, I
approached her from the left and bending down, as I do with all of the folks
there, looked into her eyes. I softly addressed her, "Ma'am, would you like
some water today?" But instead of the customary positive, grateful response, she
sprung from her chair, knocking it backwards. As she yelled at me to "stop looking
at her," I lowered my eyes and backed away. I'll be honest: In my nearly two years
of serving, it was the only time I have been nervous or frightened.
The lady
continued to yell as she left the dining hall - her tray of food intact on the
table. I took a deep breath and was walking back to retrieve her tray when a
man, bigger than three of me, reached for my arm. I held my breath and then he
asked: "Are you OK?"
My tall,
dark, homeless angel - whose troubles that day were way more serious than my startle
- was genuinely concerned for me. I'm sure I was pale as a ghost, but as he
flashed his "streets of gold" smile and began to assure me that I had done
nothing wrong and that she was "just sick," I was quickly comforted.
My homeless
angel taught me, if asked at just the right moment, "Are you OK?" can be a powerful question of compassion turning
one's vulnerability and fear into assurance.
I also
realized that, if asked at just the right moment, "Are you OK?" can also be a generous offer to join someone in their
despair transforming loneliness and isolation into a community of two.
But when
asked by a total stranger that hot July day, "Are you OK?"became a simple
request to join someone else in her humanity. These three little words were the
catalyst that connected our hearts and souls - if only for a moment.
"...make my joy complete by being of
the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one
purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of
mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not
merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of
others." - Philippians
1:2-4
I will
close this series for now but am sure I will return to it in the future because
if there is anything I learned on July 19, 2009, it was to pay attention to the heavenly and earthly beings who bless my life
every day.
On the
lookout,
Ellen
Posted by Ellen on May 3, 2010 1:26 PM
| Category: An Angel Bombing
I'm sitting in Casablanca, Morocco, having just come from Baku, Azerbijian anad it is good to have these words of encouragement whenever I am so far away from home. I saw lots of ladies in Baku with every tooth in their head covered in gold. Still in the fight!!!!
