The unseen hand...

"Life rewards only one thing and that is action. Not dreams, 

nor vision, nor good intent. Large or small, nothing 

happens in the universe without an action.

- Anonymous

What: A tire issue

Where: A parking lot at a tire repair shop in Albuquerque, New Mexico

When: Monday morning at 7:45am

Who: John & Ted

Why: That is the question isn’t it.

 

The story…

I was back in Tulsa, where my late brother had lived. I was going to drive back to Arizona with a few things from his home. An estate sale was coming and Molly wanted a few mementos from her late brother's home before it became a house.

 

The drive began this past Saturday morning early. The intent was to make Albuquerque to spend the night and finish the drive through the Arizona White Mountains and home.

 

Rather than taking the interstate out of Tulsa, I took a scenic drive on country roads. It added an hour to the nine-hour run but was much more scenic. The most notable thing on this leg was unexpectedly passing through Kingfisher, Oklahoma, en route. This spot in the road was notable as the birthplace of Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart. With stretching and dehydration stops, I pulled into Albuquerque after five.

 

The plan was to be up early Sunday morning and be home by late afternoon Sunday. That was the '… best-laid plans of mice and men…' that went astray.

 

What…

As I neared Albuquerque, the car's low tire warning light came on. Pulling into a couple of gas stations and a truck stop, I discovered the tire air machines did not work. Breathing a prayer, with a dash of faith, I pressed forward to the hotel.

 

There were no tire businesses open on Sunday, so I had to stay an extra night.

 

Now we’re getting somewhere…

 

Where and when…

Monday morning, I got to the tire shop at 7:30, wanting to be the ‘…first come first serve customer…’ for the 8:00am opening. I knew it wouldn’t take long to check the tire, whether it could be fixed or needed to be replaced. I was hoping to get on the road as soon as possible.

 

Who…

All of this was foreplay for the unguarded moment that emerged over the next few minutes.

 

At 7:45 a man left the store and headed for his car one space over from where I was parked.

 

It has been a lifelong habit to lean in when I see someone I don’t know.

 

“Morning,” I said

 

The mid-fifties Hispanic man replied with a smile, "Morning."

 

I have a few questions in my kit, if I feel there might be a little more than “…what  nice day…” I asked him his name and gave him mine and fell into a few minutes of quiet conversation.

 

As it turns out, John had been in the military (Desert Storm – '…the storm…'), been a civilian swat team police officer, and was continuing his public safety career. I mentioned I had been in Vietnam as a Canadian in the American Army (my green card had 'qualified' me for the draft). We thanked each other for our service and remarked that most people in this country have no idea how people in different countries live, how dangerous the world is, and how grateful we were to live in a country with some safe ‘breathing room.’

 

Our common gratitude led to a spiritual conversation. We shared how our faith had carried us through darker parts of our lives. These moments of shared humanity reflected how similar John, and I were. The requirement? An open heart.

 

By now, the tire shop was getting ready to open.

 

John said, “Just a moment, I want to give you something.”

 

He reached into his car, and when he came out, I couldn't see anything. He he put out his hand to shake mine and in it was a coin – a medallion, a little smaller than a silver dollar it was in a plastic case.

“This is a faith challenge coin,” he said. “We exchanged them with our military service brothers. It’s an Armor of God coin. I’m giving this to carry with you.”

"And so I will."

 

This was not a religious thing to him…it was a gift of gratitude and faith.

 

It’s hard to express the sensitivity of spirit with which this coin was passed into my hand, and the intimacy two strangers shared in that tire repair parking lot in Albuquerque. This kind of thing could never be orchestrated but only through an unseen hand starting with a simple “Morning” to a stranger.

 

In these times of chaos, anger, name-calling, and vitriol from those who seek our nation's highest offices, it is helpful to remember the small experiences in the parking lots of life that narcissistic individuals with vacuous hubris will never know.

 

The words on the coin — the 'armor of God' scriptures are from the book of Ephesians—timeless words of wisdom...not meant for a specific religion, but spiritual words reminding us the real work in life is not what we do but what we think, because it is thought that leads to action.

 

John would not have known this, but the words on that medallion have carried me many times in my life (Ephesians 6:11-17)

 

¹¹ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

¹³ Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

¹⁴ Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

¹⁵ And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

¹⁶ Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

 

Why...

Does it really matter?

 

ted

ps. The tire turned out to be fine...