Joyful Writing

  Divine Appointment # 1: Angels Unaware My mother died in 2018 unexpectedly due to a fall and a broken ankle. It was one year and sixteen days after the death of my dad. On a cold, cold, cold Saturday not too many weeks since her passing, a gentleman rang our doorbell. When I saw him, I immediately thought “Jehovah’s Witness.” He wore a long, black wool coat—the most expensive winter coat I think I’ve ever seen with a matching “newsboy” cap. A new leather binder rested easily in the crook of his right arm. He greeted me and I responded. He then was fumbling a little with the binder and papers. I knew he wanted to share his Watch Tower views with me. Suddenly, he stopped. He then asked the following question (something to that effect) “have you been experiencing grieving lately?” I immediately told this total stranger that my mother had died very recently. He put the set of papers back in the binder and searched through his repertoire and handed me a paper about dealing with deat...

  This my story—I have not shared it before; it is too precious to my mind and soul.   One of my teachers has a lesbian daughter. The daughter works tirelessly with the homeless in our community and was thrown under the bus by her mentor about one of the homeless people she was trying to help. It happened in open court. My teacher-friend said, “And I did think Mrs. X would be the one to show my child the face of Jesus” and I felt like I had been plunged into cold water and could not breathe. No one showed this young woman what Jesus looked like? After careful thought, consideration, and prayer, I put together a basket of “girl things” and a note (this was just after 9-11) and I said to this young woman, whom I have still never met, that her work mattered and her heart for these homeless people mattered and I wanted to bless her with a little something. I did not comment on her lifestyle or even use a scripture. That spring her mother (my teacher) brought back the baske...