Before the moment of this surprise encounter with an unknown stranger; my typically happy-yet-boring little world had been a bit more hectic and sad than usual.
My whole week had been very emotional because I had been sharing a huge amount of time with several family members and friends who were giving me tons of details about their new trials and troubles. I felt as if I had turned into the listening post of the world and everyone had come to sit at my feet at once. It left me feeling helpless; for there was nothing I could do for any of them but pray and have faith that God would send them answers. There were no clear answers on the charts right now.
It all seemed a bit overwhelming. Also; I had encountered a few unexpected medical problems of my own to worry about.
In spite of every attempt to relax and let go of the anxiety; my body was feeling tired and I felt I needed a break from the daily office routine. Often I work right through lunch without even thinking about it, but today I left the office wanting to hide somewhere in a quiet, peaceful haven; some place where I could shut the rest of the world out for at least an hour or so.
To tell the truth; I wasn’t even hungry; but I knew I needed to eat something because after lunchtime today I would be fasting just before a battery of medical tests took place at my doctor’s office tomorrow morning. That made me feel that eating a healthy lunch was mandatory, whether I was hungry or not; but I just wasn’t in the mood to visit a loud, busy restaurant.
That was why I chose to order a bowl of soup and half-a-sandwich in the little cafe at my favorite local bookstore. With the necessary ordering of my food I also purchased two new books that I needed for research for my latest writing assignment. I had hoped to steal away and read while I consumed the food I really didn’t want.
I have to admit eating might have just been a convenient excuse; I visit this bookstore often.
“That will be $30.95” said the nice clerk behind the counter.
I smiled and said “lunch here is so expensive for me because I always have to add at least two books to my purchase of food!”
She laughed. “I knew you would bring books when you ordered your lunch – you always do!”
In the course of waiting for my food to be ready, I barely noticed an attractive, modestly dressed lady standing behind me waiting to place her order.
I was surprised to hear her voice behind me saying; “I love that color on you! It is so cheerful.”
I looked back to see a genuine and polite smile.
“Thank you! I just needed to add some color to my day. I thought it might cheer me up!”
“Well I’m smiling at you through tear-stains; so I can understand how you feel.”
Such an unusual and unexpected answer took me off-guard. I hadn’t noticed her sadness and I looked deeper into her face; straight into her eyes. I suddenly felt the need to pray for her, but I never make my prayers for others a formal occasion. The simple little words of my prayers just automatically come rolling off my tongue and into the day. It isn’t unusual; just a constant on-going conversation I keep up with my Father.
“Well then; I’m praying right now that whatever it is that is causing you to feel that way changes quickly for the better.”
She looked as surprised at my impulsive answer as I had been with her unusual greeting.
Then she began to fumble with one of several bracelets she had around her wrist.
“Here; this is for you.”
Before I even realized what she was doing she was placing a purple and yellow twined elastic bracelet around my wrist.
The little bracelet stretched easily and she slipped it on quickly.
It was simple and pretty. The elastic on each side was held together with delicately shaped golden clasps. Joining the clasps together like an anchor was a tiny wooden cross with three red dots painted at the end of the horizontal and the base of the cross. The word “ASK” was written in two-dimensional colors of blue and white starting at the top of the cross and covering the main body of the cross and it’s intersections.
Most people would probably have asked the giver of the bracelet a question inquiring what the symbolism of the bracelet meant; but I was a little different in my response. I didn’t feel the need to ask a question; I simply kept staring at her without saying anything at all. Honestly; I was wondering if I should have let a perfect stranger place a piece of jewelry around my wrist while standing in a book store.
She said; “My father makes these. He gives them away. I want you to have this one.”
I was still a bit out-of-sync with the strange event that had just unfolded; but something in me was also at peace. To protest would have shattered the trust she obviously felt with my earlier prayer and I didn’t want to do that.
After a moment I just smiled and said “Thank you; that is very kind of you!”
She said “You are welcomed!”
As quickly as she spoke, my food arrived and she turned to place her order with the woman behind the counter. I noticed that they seemed to know each other well and they chatted with one another in a familiar way; asking questions about each other’s day.
I took my tray and sat down at the table to begin to eat while reading one of the books I had just purchased on the subject of “mindfulness.”
Suddenly it occurred to me that the woman could have been distracting me as I paid.
Had she taken my charge card while I wasn’t paying attention?
I panicked and looked through all the papers in my purse until I saw my receipt and the charge card were there all perfectly safe and sound.
Then I felt kind of foolish for having jumped to such a quick judgment of the nice lady’s character.
A little blush of shame was the only witness to my own inhuman reaction.
Where did that come from? I called myself a “Christian” but I had shunned a very random and unsolicited kindness and held the person offering it in judgment. I REALLY DID need to read the books I had just purchased. There was no “mindfulness” about my current reactions. Perhaps the books might give me a few pointers about becoming a bit more merciful to those around me.
I found this event to be a strange coincidence; and I pondered it as I began to flip through the pages of the book. The book began with words stating the fact that we all should be open to trusting others and that we should not look for the negative facts in the events of our day, but instead we should accentuate the more positive things in every life situation.
Those words felt like a strong board of wood smashing me right between the eyes. God was hitting me over the head with the reality of my own lack of trust for other humans.
At first all I thought about was my feelings of distrust; and yet I couldn’t help but notice my opposite physical reactions with the willingness to accept and wear the bracelet that was still placed around my wrist.
I entertained the thought of NOT wearing it and quickly slipping it off when I was sure she had disappeared from sight.
Soon she DID disappear with her food-to-go; but I just sat there wondering what to do.
What if she was a practicing witch and she had attached a spell to the bracelet? I had heard of such things!!!
Then I thought; where is my faith?
Is my God so small that He would not defend me from any evil attached to a silly little bracelet?
I should not fear such things; but put them under God’s control. Quickly I did this; I prayed for God to remove any harm from the bracelet and that it would have no power over me.
Then I begin to think more.
I thought of how uncommon it was to find a genuine, sharing and compassionate person lurking about in the marketplace.
Why should I distrust someone who obviously was trying to make every physical effort to show human kindness to a total stranger?
What if the person who made the bracelet had prayed for God to heal the person who was given the bracelet?
Was I above the level of the verbal prayer that I had given to her?
I had shared a prayer for her well-being and meant it sincerely. She seemed to have given me the bracelet from the same sense of a simple need to be kind to another person as they passed by in the midst of her day. It was like her way of saying “thank you for caring enough to pray for me.”
Why would I not be happy to wear the bracelet instead of fearful?
Now I knew why I had felt the need to study the book on mindfulness.
I had a new fear; that perhaps my ability to give and accept love wasn’t as mature as I had hoped.
My desire to receive love was not as reciprocal as my desire to give love.
I was missing some balance in my love.
I looked at the bracelet still on my wrist and decided that I would continue to wear it.
Every time I looked at it I would be reminded to be more kind to strangers; and to accept as well as give genuine love and compassion to them.
I tried to let go of these thoughts about the stranger and the bracelet and return my concentration to the book that I had purchased; but I really didn’t need that book to remind me about “mindfulness anymore.”
God had already done that for me. He had used the circumstances of life to remind me right there as I stood in line in the book store.
Why had I rushed so hurriedly to find my own answers instead of asking God for them in the first place?
This was another one of at least a million other times that God had answered my questions even before I had thought to ask.
I love that about God!
Looking back down at the bracelet I saw it in a new light.
That little word in the middle of the cross popped out at me.
A-S-K.
It was obviously time for me to learn to ask God the hard questions first before seeking out the world’s answers.
I still had a lot more to learn.
As I continued to read, I reminded myself to pray about each answer I found inside that book. The point was to ask God to clarify each one; and I knew He would do so in many more situations like today’s encounter with the stranger with tear stains on her face.
Suddenly I felt more peace.
I put the book back into its sack and began to pray silently.
“Thank you God for being present in my life and teaching me so much about daily living even while I am living it out. I’m always surprised when you do that. It makes me feel so much better whenever it happens though; as if you always have my back and as if you will never leave me or forsake me.”
“I DO want to be more mindful of every moment of this sacred life that you have given me.”
“I DO need your help with being mindful of the needs of other human beings that are suffering too.”
“I DO want to continue to walk down this path with you and listen and learn and love and cherish each moment and every circumstance that you place around me.”
Now it was time for me to return to the routine things of my work day.
I took my trash to the receptacle and dropped it there; and as I turned around I thought I heard God whisper something in my ear.
“That’s right! You are beginning to get it!”
Just like that pile of trash I threw away I knew I was about to throw away a whole mountain of distrust, disrespect, unkindness, impatience and judgmental attitudes.
I walked back to my car feeling a little lighter; and a lot more “mindful!”
The worry about the my family, friends and all the new medical tests was gone.
I knew all I had to do was to become present in the next moment and God would handle all the other events. I simply had to rest there with Him and know His peace.
If there was ever a problem; all I had to do was A-S-K.