It was the day after a major snow storm. We were meeting family for supper in a downtown Portland restaurant. There were no handicapped spots (nor any regular parking spots even close to our destination) for my family member who has a disability. I pulled into the small hotel lot next to the restaurant to ask if we could park there for an hour. “Really sorry, but it’s only for hotel guests,” the young man said. “But across the street, you can park there because of the snow storm yesterday. It should be open to the public. It was yesterday.”
I drove across the street and pulled into what certainly seemed like a private parking lot, got ourselves into the restaurant, and nervously watched from our table. As I feared, I soon saw a pick-up truck appear, and a man walking around studying cars in the lot. I threw on my coat, and headed out.
“I was told it was ok to park here. Do I need to move my car?”
He had a bit of a gruff edge. He told me it was not open to the public, asked who had told me it was, and was obviously not happy to pass along the reality of the situation…but as we talked and I told him my situation, I felt a shift in his previously business-like manner.
“It’s OK. You can stay here. No problem. But I think I better talk to the hotel people so they don’t keep sending folks over here.”
I asked if he was sure it would be ok to stay there while we ate across the street.
He assured me that I could stay put, “but don’t tell anyone else. Special exception,” he added. Then he looked at the back of my car, pointing to the political bumper sticker. “Even though you voted for that guy,” he smiled.
“Yeah,” I said, and motioning toward his cap, “But look, we like the same baseball team!”
An hour later, as we were pulling out of the lot, I looked to the right, and there he was, shoveling the edge of the lot and waving good-bye to us. It was a distance of a hundred feet or so, but I could see his smile.
Sometimes an angel just needs a little nudge to remind him of how good he is.
Thanks, John. God bless you!
Be First to Comment