we all cried at the post office today

I was reminded today that it is through others that the Lord answers our prayers.  As we serve others we are serving God by doing His work here on Earth.  I was served today by a complete stranger, at a time when I really needed it; someone who didn’t have to, but did.

This afternoon after a play date for the girls with Paul and Caleb, we had to stop by the post office.  We’ve been selling some of Dan’s old text books online and I needed to send one off.  I felt quite prepared, with my item to be mailed, newspapers for cushion, packing slip printed, and wallet in hand!  I didn’t’ have a stroller but that was okay, it should only take a few minutes.  It was shortly after 1:00 when we arrived and it was definitely NAP TIME!  I was pushing my luck even going, but it’s so much easier to go when you are already out.  Anyway, I got through selecting the most economical box to use and stuffing everything inside, we waited in line.  The girls were restless but did okay.  I paid and got my package sent!  Hurray!  Sophie was asking for her bed now.  “Okay, let’s go!”  I said.  Outside to the frigid cold (I think it’s in the teens today) down the ramp and to the van I reach in the bag and my heart sinks… NO KEYS!  In my efforts to lighten my load in the post office I slimmed down too much and forgot to bring in my keys!!  Stay calm, and check all the doors, just to make sure.  Nope, locked.  Start back inside to borrow a phone (mine was in the car too).  But I realize the only phone numbers I have memorized are my parents home phone (in Utah) and Dan’s cell.  I despair when I realize that Dan’s final started at 1:00 and shouldn’t be done until 3 or 4!!  Plus he doesn’t have a car of his own and would have to take the bus to come find us, who knows how long that would take!  All of these things are racing through my head while I have tired Tessa seated on the counter next to a man preparing his package to be shipped.  She grabs at his box and I apologize, then she tried to knock my bag on the ground and he catches it.  So I decide to ask him if I can use his cell phone.

“Of course!” he said, pulling it out of it’s case.

“Thanks…”

“Or, if you’d like, I could open your door for you.”

“Uhhhhh…. how?”

“Well what kind of car do you have?

“A Toyota Sienna.”

“What year?”

“2000”

“I can try with a coat hanger or something through the door, I don’t do this for a living or anything but have done it before, I could pad it with cloth so I don’t damage your car, or you can use my phone, whatever you’d like.”

“I, ahhhh, well, hmmmmm, actually I don’t think my husband will be available with the keys  for another 2 or 3 hours so if you don’t mind trying to open the door that would be great!”

So after he mailed his package we went outside with him.  He had a hanger in his car from dry cleaning he straightened out.  He asked if we wanted to wait inside, I said no.  Even though it was FREEZING I couldn’t leave him out to steal my car!  I feel bad for even thinking that, but we have to be paranoid these days don’t we?  Of course all of the horrible possibilities ran through my mind… he could open the door, shove us all in and drive off or get Sophie into his car and drive off with her.  But it all seemed unlikely in the busy parking lot.  After 10 min or so he got the hanger in the door and another 10 min later he hooked the lock mechanism but when pulled, the hanger slid off without unlocking the door.  I found myself appreciating the shape of the door locks and hidden location of the unlock button… well it’s good when you are trying to keep thieves out, but not ME!

As I am waiting for him to work some magic with the door I notice his appearance, he has on a long black wool coat, black pants and shirt, with a silver necklace with some symbol I don’t recognize and glasses with blue lenses. Not my first choice for a good Samaritan…

“Are you sure you have time for this?”  I ask, “Don’t you have somewhere you need to be?”

“It’s okay, I could use the good karma.”

As he is making his 3rd attempt with the lock my girls are starting to complain of the cold.  Then another man comes over.  This one looking much more homeless, but kind. 

“Lock your keys in the car?”

“Sure did, this man is helping us though, thank you.”

He stayed and watched for a few minutes then left.  Attempt #3 fails and the good Samaritan's hands are so cold it seems unlikely he can do it again.  I thank him for his trouble but ask to use his phone.  He offers to drive us home, and asks where I live… I dodge the question and say too far.  I leave Dan a message (with 2 screaming girls in the background, lovely) telling him where we are, I don’t have my phone, but we need him to come let us in the van ASAP.  As I am handing back the good Samaritan's phone the black homeless man appears in a car (probably not homeless, just dresses like that) he’s accompanied by a few other people.  He tells us that the fire department would come open my doors for free since I have kids with me and it’s so cold, and that they are just down the street.  Even though my girls’ screaming makes it hard to talk, the good Samaritan tells me he will drive over to the fire department and get help.  He said he’d hurry back.  I thank him for the 20th time and tell him he’s helped us enough and I’m sure he has somewhere else he needs to be.  He just smiles and shakes his head.  I offer to ask someone else to call the fire department, I think he’d already been with us an hour.  He refuses and repeats that he’ll be right back.

Up the stairs again to the post office.  Both of my girls are screaming their heads off, freezing cold, with snot running down their faces.  I go inside and sit on a bench to try and soothe them.  Unfortunately the ONLY benches are right next to all the people in line.  So I have a concerned/annoyed audience as I try to quite the screaming and wipe their noses with their shirts.  It didn’t get any better, neither would stop screaming so I walk over by the PO boxes (away from all the poor people who didn’t want to hear my girls scream) and set them both on the counter so I can hug them.  Sophie kept saying, “Just go to sleep mom, ready to go, ride in the van, go to sleep!”  Tessa was hysterical.  I try showing them stuff around to distract but it doesn’t work.  There was even an empty box I tried to give them rides in, no go.

At about 2:45, just when I am ready to start crying myself, I look at the window to see a full blown FIRE ENGINE parked next to the van and a bunch of fire men working on the door.  The good Samaritan was standing close by.  I showed Sophie the fire engine and told her it was here to help us!  Just saying that choked me up, I was so happy that we were going to be okay.  We walked out to talk to the chief… I think he was anyway, maybe since he was so tall and intimidating I assumed he was important.  Plus he was dressed differently than the firemen.  Anyway, I saw them pull out their tool for the door and we went back inside to watch from the window.  By the time we got a good view, it was opened!!  Sweet relief rushed over me as I told Sophie we could get in the van now!  I rushed back out there to thank everyone.  I tried to stop them but tears filled my eyes as I shook those mens’ hands and said thank you.  I told the good Samaritan that I couldn’t thank him enough for his trouble.  I don’t know if he said anything because the girls were still crying but I saw him nod his head and smile.

I am just overwhelmed with gratitude to be home safely with my girls in their beds right now!  The kindness of others never ceases to amaze me.  I wish I knew where the good Samaritan lived so I could drop him off a HUGE plate of cookies!  I guess we can send a thank you note to the fire department anyway.  I hope that the good Samaritan has some good karma now… whatever that means.