Angels Unawares Work Weekends

My girlfriend and I rang the doorbell to the side door of an old brick downtown church, and a tall, heavy-set woman in shorts with glasses and graying hair pulled back into a ponytail answered. "Can I help you?" she said in a rather deep alto voice. She appeared middle-aged, like us.

"I was just released from the hospital and we have been walking for hours. We have nowhere to go. May we have some water?" I inquired.

The woman apologized, "I'm sorry. I work at the daycare here and cannot let you into the building for security reasons, but I will get you some water and see if the pastor is still here."

My girlfriend and I slid down and sat on the cement step just before the lady returned with a plastic picture full of cold water and some disposable cups. We slaked our thirst, hoping the pastor could help us and the woman disappeared back into the building. After a few minutes, she came back outside and said, "I'm sorry the pastor has gone for the day. I have to finish my shift cleaning the building and then drive a co-worker home to the city, but I will come back and see how I can help you."

After a while the woman drove away in a twenty-year old Ford Escort accompanied by a young twenty-something lady. My girlfriend and I just sat there on the concrete step, hoping she would return. After over about an hour, the Escort pulled back into the parking lot and the woman got out and walked toward us. My girlfriend exclaimed, "You are the angel that I was sitting here praying for!" I truly didn't know if she was speaking the truth or laying it on thick ..or both!

The woman began to explain, "I am broke myself until next payday. I am also almost out of gas, so I stopped at the church I attend, asking for advice on how to best help you. They gave me two gift cards for the supermarket that is a few streets away from here. One card is for me to get gas. The other is for you to buy some food." Then she began to apologize, "I'm sorry but, since I don't know you, I was cautioned not to have you get into my car."

My body was very tired after leaving the hospital and the thought of walking more was not welcome, but the lady began to walk down the street with us, took another look at me struggling to carry my bag, and said, "This is ridiculous! My mother died recently, so my back seat is full of bags of clothing, but you can get into my car." My girl and I waited while she walked back and pulled the car around to us. I put my bag in her trunk and sat up front while my girlfriend squeezed in the backseat with the bags of clothing.

The woman drove us to the grocery store where we bought some food and supplies with the $25 gift card. Knowing the lady had probably not eaten dinner yet, I offered her some of our "Lunchables," but she declined. "No, keep your food. I can buy gas now here and eat later at my house. The tow truck is supposed to arrive tomorrow to junk my Mom's nonworking car. He should give me some cash for it until payday."

The lady drove us to a downtown Christian mission, hoping they could help us find shelter for the night. We sat at a table with a young pastor in a rundown gymnasium while teenagers played basketball and then sat for a Bible reading. I reiterated my story of being released from the hospital and having our plans to stay at a place fall through. I was careful to describe my girlfriend as my fiancee in case they offered us a room together. The young man was polite but could not offer us anywhere to stay. Apparently, all the places set up to assist people in crisis had shut down for the weekend! The gym was soon going to close also, so, not knowing what to do, we got back into the lady's car. The night had grown darker, as had my thoughts.

"There is a homeless shelter in the city, but I would have to get directions and see if they could take you tonight. I really don't know much about it," the woman threw the idea out to us.

"Couldn't you just let us sleep on your floor? We wouldn't be any trouble, and we'd be out in the morning," I pleaded.

"You don't understand. My mother died after being disabled for a long time. There is stuff everywhere. I'm trying to clean things out. It would not be suitable for you to sleep at my place, " the woman countered. I wasn't sure if she was just making excuses, but, either way, that was not the answer to our dilemma.

The Escort had an old tape deck, and the song "Whenever God Shines His Light on Me" began to play. I said, "What's that?"

"Oh, that's Van Morrison's Avalon Sunset album. You can turn it down if you like," the lady replied bashfully.

"No, I like it!" I said as I turned the volume up instead. "I'm trying to get back to God. I was baptized a Catholic and grew up in the Church."

The lady went on to say that she was really trying to rely upon God and felt that He was leading her through some tough times financially since her mother's illness and death. I had the sense that this entire night was an adventure in faith and trust for the woman, my girlfriend, and me.

"Where do you want to go now?" the lady asked. I directed her to a house of an old buddy of mine in a nearby town, wondering if she thought I was asking her to drive to some drug dealer or dangerous neighborhood in the dark of night. I saw the fear cross her face but she also seemed resigned to see things through for us. I went into the house while she and my girl remained in the parked car, only to return empty-handed. We continued to drive around when another idea surfaced in my mind.

"There is a Motel 6 in a nearby town. Please drive me to the nearest Catholic church. I will ask the priest for hotel money," I explained.

"I doubt anyone will be at the church at this time of night," the lady replied and looked doubtful but obeyed my request.

When the great stone church did seem deserted, I directed the woman to drive around to the rectory in the rear parking lot. The lady looked a bit worried as I knocked on the darkened doorstep, but the light switched on and the minister came to the door. Thankfully, he did give me enough cash for the hotel fee. Then I gave our driver directions to the Motel 6 as she seemed nervous about finding an unknown area at night.

It was extremely late by the time we arrived at the hotel. I went inside to pay for the room while my girlfriend waited outside with the lady. As our benefactress went to open her trunk and get out our bag, I was a bit overwhelmed with emotion and awkwardly attempted to hug the lady. She seemed a bit stiff and embarrassed, but accepted the gesture.

Apparently, human assistance offices close down for the weekend, but angels are still on call.