Touched by a stranger.....

We restore the holiness of the world through our loving-kindness and
compassion.  Everyone participates.  It is a collective task.  Every act
of loving-kindness, no matter how great or small, repairs the world.
All those ever born have shared this collective work since
the beginning of time.

Rachel Naomi Remen

 I am sure many of you have seen the old TV show, touched by an angel.  It was a feel good weekly program that was on CBS on Friday nights.  I loved watching it and was inspired by the "feel-good" manner in which the quacky angels would put forth love and goodness and hope through random encounters with people from all walks of life.   If we really think about it, I guess we all have the capacity to touch like an angel and when we are lucky enough to recognize it---be touched --- through some random act of kindness by people whose names we will never, ever know.

Several years ago,  "Big Daddy's" job often took him to random cities throughout the state.  He often traveled five nights a week and when school was out for us, then the entire off-color family would  accompany him.  We'd stay at the hotel with him, have grilled cheese sandwiches from the George Foreman Grill for lunch and spend the day sight seeing and swimming in the hotel pool waiting for "Big Daddy" to return in the evening. Off-color son and daughter are a year apart almost to the day so when they were five and six, they might as well have been twins.  They were inseparable.   I was in seminary at the time and so often while they were swimming or playing in or around the hotel pools, I'd be reading a book with one eye on them and the other eye skimming some random theological writing.  

One day following a vacation to the beach,  we drove to a hotel on the outskirts of Cincinnati, Ohio.  "Big Daddy" went to work and off color kids and I headed to the indoor pool.  

They splashed and played and had a great time.  While there, an older couple arrived with their grandchildren.  The grandfather jumped in the pool and played with his clan, while the grandmother, sat in her skirted bathing suit and gray hair and crocheted.  I watched them for quite some time and when the grandfather got out and headed back to the room, I told off color kids to share their pool toys with the boys.  When I said this, the grandmother thanked me, which was my invitation to

start talking.  I asked her what she thought about while she crocheted and she smiled and responded, "I usually spend time praying for people while I do this.  While it looks like I'm putting together a dish rag, if I am honest, well......I'm making a prayer rag." 

Her comment invited me to delve into a deeper conversation about prayer and church and life.  We talked and laughed and finally parted for the evening.

I thought about her serene sense of stitching throughout the evening and was surprised at

how much I had been impacted by such a brief encounter with someone along poolside at a hotel.

I did not know her name.  I did not know where she was from or what she did for a living.

The thing I did know for sure was that she had an incredible sense of faith, hope and grace.

I remember laying in bed wishing that I had asked for her address and thinking if I saw them at the pool the next day, I'd ask a few more questions.  I finally drifted off to sleep and when we all arose the next morning we headed down to the restaurant for breakfast.

As we were sitting there, a hand touched my shoulder and I glanced up.  There stood the "pool grandmother" looking into my eyes.  She said, "I do not know you but I have thought about you all night long and can't get you off of my mind.  I feel called to give you this.......and slid her hand toward mine."  She said, "you'll have to fill in your name.  please use this for whatever you need....I feel led to give it to you." and then as quickly as she touched me......she was gone.

After she left, I looked down at what she had placed in my hand. 

I felt my mouth fall open.....

a random stranger who I had shared a brief poolside encounter

had actually passed me a check made out to..................................... for the sum of $100.

I felt tears well in my eyes and I smiled....smiled at how our needs are met and often our wants are provided for.....

I had been wanted to send a small monetary gift to an extended family member who was having a difficult time due to health issues.  My own children were small and since I was in school full-time, our financial resources were tight as we were living off of solely what Big Daddy brought home and thus had not had the extra money to send to them.

I was able to get the name and address of the "pool" angel from the check.

I sent half the money to that family member and I took the remainder and purchased a feminist prayer book and placed it on my shelf to remember

my moment...

my moment of being touched by the kindness of a stranger.......

I wrote to her to thank her and

throughout my seminary time, I'd receive random envelopes from

this kind stranger

sending me

"prayer rags" and monetary gifts to be used toward my education.....

I guess

if we are aware...

if we share our self with others

if we are not afraid of a stranger...

then

sometimes

someway

we get touched...

graced on the heart

and

changed.

For my prayer rag making angel of kindness

I am most thankful.....

May I and you

at some point

be

the angel who

touches

another....

Go on...

touch a stranger...

I double dog dare you!!!

Happy Wednesday

and Blessings!