5/19/2011
Woke up to the sound of pouring rain. I rolled out of my king bed, rubbed my eyes and opened the curtains. Yep, It was a blanket of dark clouds. It didn’t look like the sun would be making an appearance in the near future but, I needed a few supplies. I wanted to do some maintenance on my body before suffering a breakdown. Like a car we gotta keep ourselves tuned up and oiled. So, I threw on my poncho and headed for the grocery store a mile away. Now a mile might seem miniscule compared to the mileage I acquire daily but let me assure you, when the roads are slippery and you aren’t feeling one hundred percent, it can feel more difficult than running a marathon.
The showers grew into a downpour. There was even loud earth shaking thunder. My 759’s were completely water logged and I needed a meal. I stopped into a tiny chinese restaurant I thought would be empty. I ordered a hot tea, some hot soup, and a lunch special. To my surprise, my lunch came with a new friend. Again, wonders never cease on this journey. Seemingly out of nowhere this kind figure appeared and asked me if I needed a ride. Like I said before, Missouri has some of the nicest people I have ever met. So, my new friend’s name was Aaron. He had a bit of work to take care of and I still had lunch to consume. He arranged to come back to take me back to my hotel in twenty minutes. He was very punctual.
I’m the kind of person who is pretty appreciative of any gesture of kindness and I wondered how I could repay him. I asked him if he had kids and as it turned out, he has three. They just happened to be the age for which my books were written. I gave him three copies and signed them for Joseph, Jeremiah, and Elise. The day’s adventure didn’t end though. It turned out that Aaron was a minister. He invited me to dinner with his family and attend some activities at his church later that evening. Being the gypsy that I am I figured the universe was pushing me in that direction and I gladly accepted.
At church I got to witness Aaron perform two baptisms and see some young girls get ready for an interpretive dance recital. I played boardgames with his boys and I ended up giving out a dozen books. One of the ladies at the St. James church even called their local press and arranged for them to cover my story. Did I mention the rain cleared up and the sun broke through the clouds? Yeah, every day continues to surprise me. I just gotta keep believing that I’m doing the right thing and that my actions will speak to others.
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