And there she was! It was Christmas Eve and my daughter had just arrived by bus. She looked weary and her first smile lacked not only its usual luster, but one of her front teeth.
“I know”, she said, “I forgot my partial plate at home.”
What could I say? She did look a bit odd but it wasn’t bothering her so I felt it shouldn’t bother me.
A quick snack and a two hour nap on the sofa, and she recuperated. The “grubs” she had worn on the long bus trip, were sitting in the laundry room and after a quick shower she was ready for the church service.
She took her place alone as I had to sing in the choir. When I looked out…there she was standing up and waving….just like she used to when she was six years old.
A few hours later we were home and there was finally time to ask questions about the family and about the trip. The family was fine but the trip had turned out more of an adventure that I had realized.
Always prompt, she had ordered her taxi for 4 a.m., to ensure lots of time at the bus depot before the 6:30 departure. When she arrived at the depot it was closed.
‘I’ll just wait here till it opens,” she told the taxi driver.
“No lady, I can’t leave you here, it’s not safe”, the taxi driver advised. “I’ll take you down to the next block. There is a warm place inside where you can sit, and I’ll check back on you later.”
Now that is going the extra mile.
So my daughter sat beside an obviously homeless man, who was deeply involved in a newspaper. They carried on a conversation about the sports page for some time, then three more homeless men walked in. As there was now no place to sit, two went down the street and sat in a nearby hotel lobby. The other was told by my daughter’s companion, “Go and snitch me today’s paper, I’ve read all of this one.”
So off he went.
About 4:45 in the blackest of mornings, my daughter got up and headed towards the bus depot, her knapsack in her hand. As she reached the now open door of the bus depot, she saw the taxi driver go by and check that she had gotten indoors.
Angels come in all kinds of packages and I wish I could thank that taxi driver personally for his concern.
When we pray for safe travel, we often don’t know the plans that God has for us… plans to help, not to harm. It wasn’t until late that night I realized that dressed in “grubs”, with her casual luggage and her front tooth missing, others might assume she was also homeless.
After thinking back on her adventure, I thanked God for her safe arrival, which of all the gifts I got that Christmas, was the best one I received.
