‘Always be a blessing’
Blessings are a two-way street with both a giver and a receiver. They’re often unplanned, yet always seem divinely timed. Recently while on a road trip along the two-lane highways of Southwest Virginia, I stopped at the Floyd Country Store, in Floyd County, famous for its live Bluegrass music and down-home vibe. The fiddles and banjos were awesome.
What caught my attention was an adorable weathered yellow vintage corner kitchen cabinet tucked away in a side room. Not in the market for or by any rational assessment needing the piece, I of course had to have it. Measurements of the interior of my SUV were taken and dimensions of the cabinet noted. It would be a tight fit, but with some maneuvering, probably doable. After much inconvenience to the store manager and with the awkward efforts of Jed, the 16-year-old stock clerk, the cumbersome cabinet was loaded into my Tucson Hyundai. There were problems:
• The stubby legs of the furniture, for which we had not accounted, stuck out six inches through the back.
• Not one of us had means to secure the cabinet to the inside of the car or tie down the hatch that would not close.
• I still had a four-hour drive through the mountains to get this show back home to Sperryville. The situation was quickly becoming a hot mess.
Jed located some twine, not much thicker than kite string, and attached it here and there, like a disfigured spider web, to tie down the hatch. “Do you think it will hold?” I asked. “For sure,” replied Jed. Now, I’m not an engineer, but the setup looked risky. Realizing that this was the best I was going to get, I handed Jed some cash and got in the driver’s seat to start the perilous 180+ mile journey ahead of me. There was no turning back.
It was evening by now, and the countryside was pitch dark. Not even 15 miles into the trip there was trouble. The hills were like a roller coaster ride, and on the ascent, I could hear the hatch starting to flap as the flimsy strings were breaking away one by one. Panicking, I imagined the worstcase scenario: The cabinet breaks free, careens backwards onto the road, an innocent driver comes over the hill and crashes into the spectacle, and I am arrested for reckless driving and manslaughter. My foolish lark had turned into a nightmarish catastrophe waiting to happen. Whimpering, I drove cautiously at 5 miles per hour through God’s country, not a dwelling or sign of intelligent life anywhere.
Finally, a road sign appeared - Cheek 5 Miles. Maybe there’d be supplies, I thought. Full of hope I limped into the Town of Cheek, which is basically a shuttered garage and a mini mart. I parked and miraculously the store was open. Pushing on the market’s old heavy front door swings open via a cable and pulley from the ceiling, the original automatic one I speculate, it immediately opened. Inside, a lone dim-flickering fluorescent bulb casts a bluish tinge on the sparse shelves and dusty wooden floor. The woman cashier was conversing familiarly with a customer buying six packages of beef jerky. He stepped aside to let me in front as I blurted out my sad story.
“We definitely don’t have any bungee cords,” she says pointing to the empty display hanging from the ceiling. “Maybe there’s a spool of package twine somewhere in this mess.” The man, now eating his beef jerky, had been listening and intervened. “Miss, do you mind if I look at your car? Maybe I can help. My name is Pedro.” “Oh yes! Please.” I replied. “I am a danger on the highway.”
Outside, Pedro shined his flashlight on the failed rigging, went to his vehicle, pulled out yards of perfect cording, and spent the next 30 minutes snuggly tying everything down like a tight ship.
Hardly containing my tears, I handed Pedro a $50 bill. “Thank you. Thank you so much. You have no idea how you truly saved me. You are my angel.” Pushing the money away Pedro said, “Oh no Miss. No need. My parents taught me in life to always be a blessing.” I was stunned. “How beautiful. I will never forget what you said or this moment. You are a true blessing,” I said sincerely.
In this season of gratitude and love as we seek to heal and make amends, maybe Pedro’s simple words can inspire, challenge and guide us. Unconditional kindness.
When said in a whisper, “Always Be a Blessing,” is like a prayer.