We Find God In the Most Impossible Places

Good morning, I haven’t written since early February, as the snow fell thick and white upon the earth.  Now it has moved into the wet and windy season of spring.  

And I am remembering a day in Seattle, last September (2018), when the sun was hot and I was lost.  

Well, not actually lost.  But I needed to find my way, in an unfamiliar city, to a train station that would take me to the airport.  

On this day I was exhausted and much too hot.  I had just missed my train to Portland.  

I went to the lady at the Amtrak counter to ask about how to get to the airport.  She told to take the local “Green Line” train.  “It just a short distance from here.  You just go over the bridge over there; that crosses our train tracks.”   I could see the bridge out the window.

I did as she directed.

I crossed over the bridge and was standing on the corner, of a busy street, questioning the directions the woman gave me.   

My tired mind didn’t think her directions made since (; 

Or, maybe her directions  just didn’t make sense to my way of thinking.  This is a familiar temptation, of mine, that often gets me into a mess of some kind.

Clarification before I begin:  This story may cause you to quickly say: “Oh Marcia, that was a stupid choice.” And you would be correct.  I actually thought it myself.  But-noun-the-less here is what happened.
  

I saw a young woman, say about 35 or 40, walking toward me. I decide to ask her for help.  I told her where I was going; and told her the directions I was given didn’t make sense.  She replied:  “Oh no, I will take you right to where you need to be.”

Now remember, I was hot, exhausted, frustrated and just wanted to sit down in a cool place.  

Well, we stated to walk down one block, then two, then three, then more.  While we walked, we made small talk.  You know, where are you from, where was I going etc.. 

She told me she was from the Southern California, she had children who were not all that close to her anymore (relationship wise).  It didn’t take me long to realize that she was pretty much living on the not-so-desirable-side-of-life.  

I began to think that I was doomed; and that she was taking me to a not so nice area to rob me, or hurt me, in someway.  I prayed, and prayed some more; but at the same time remaining quite calm actually.

After walking, about seven or eight blocks, she said: “We are almost there.”  As we arrive, at the next corner, there were all sort of unsavory looking folks selling stuff off tables.  

She pointed to the right, where the seedy folks were, and said “the train station is just over there.”

I braced myself for what would come next.  

We walked pass the questionable stands of goods.  When an obvious homeless man, pushing the grocery cart, walked by us.  The young woman greeted him.   We walked a short distance further, the man with the grocery cart walking beside us, and she stoped and said “The train will come right down there and you’ll want to be on the right side of the platform.”

I was so relieved that I thanked her and said:   “I would like to offer you this with my gratitude.” And gave her the last small bills I had in my purse, eight dollars.  She looked at the cash and said “Thank you.  I wouldn’t take this, but I really can use it.”  And added: “God Bless you.” 

But thats is not the end of the story.  

Then she took the there singles and gave them to the man with the grocery cart.  He tried to refuse; but she insisted putting the three dollars in his cart.  

Something extraordinary filled my being at that moment.  

I walk down the train platform almost dancing.  My once exhausted body seemed light; and more willing to try to get where I thought I needed to be. I got on the train for the long ride to the Seattle airport.

To my great disappointment I found that you can’t just walk up to an airline counter anymore and buy a ticket.  Nope! You have to buy the ticket “online.”  

I sat on the closest bench and wanted to cry.  After a tiny petty party, I got myself a sandwich and call my cousin. Who I had been visiting the night before, and he came and got me.  

That long day ended with a wonderful extra visit with my cousins in the comfort of their home eating, sharing wine and laughter.  

I was blessed twice that day.

What seemed an impossible situation, in midmorning, turned out to be a precious grace filled memory.