Thankfulness

Once you being studying something, or deeply considering it, the topic seems to pop up everywhere. So it is with me right now and the concept of thankfulness.

There was a back page article in the NY Times magazine last week entitled 'The Tire Iron and the Tamale' by Justin Horner. He had broken down on the highway three times and had been 'disgusted with the way people didn't bother to help.'

The last time he had been waiting for close to three hours, holding up signs for things like 'NEED A JACK' and even offered money. As he was about to give up, a van pulled over and a man hopped out. He motioned for his daughter to come out and translate for him.

As he was helping me, things got worse...I broke his tire iron. But no worries for this man: he ran to the van and handed money to his wife and she was gone in a flash to buy a new tire iron.

Seems they lived in Mexico and were currently in Oregon so they could pick cherries and then peaches and head home. They were...illegal immigrants! Soon his wife returned with the new tire iron and we finished the job. I tried to give them $20 for the new jack and the 90 minutes out of their day, but they refused, so I snuck it to their daughter instead.

She came back in a moment, and asked if I was hungry, and I said I was...so she ran to the van and came back with a tamale, wrapped in foil. Can you imagine what I found when I opened it up? My $20 bill! I ran to the guy's van, and held out the money, saying por favor, por favor...

The guy just smiled and, with what looked like great concentration, said in English: 'Today you, tomorrow me.'

Anne Lamott once compared the Church to an emergency room waiting room, where those who were more or less OK brought graham crackers and juice to those who were in really bad shape. And on days when the ones who had been bad are better, they switch roles.

When have you really needed something that was provided in an unexpected way? Have you paused today to thank God for those times?