Strangers or Angels?
Yesterday morning, I went to Wawa to get lunch. As I was coming out of the Wawa, I saw a gentleman walking towards the entrance. He was an older man and was walking a bit slow. When he saw I was holding the door he tried to hurry up. I told him to take his time, not to rush. As he entered the Wawa, he thanked me. Then I saw someone else walking towards the door. I thought I heard this second gentleman yell out my name, Eugene! I heard the first gentleman respond. I said to the second man, did you say Eugene? He said yes. Then I realized he was calling out to the other guy, not me. I asked the first gentleman if his name was Eugene. He said yes. I exclaimed “wow, that’s my name!” He chuckled and extended his hand, saying “it’s a pleasure to meet you, Eugene.” I shook his hand, and we all had a good laugh. It was a funny moment, but also a very pleasant exchange.
As I drove away, thinking about this encounter, with a smile on my face, I remembered the following verse from the Bible:
Continue to love each other with true Christian love. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!
Hebrews 13:1-2
Yesterday morning I held the door for that gentleman. I mean, it is something I aim to do when the opportunity arises. 🙂 This time, however, I held the door for another Eugene. I had a good laugh, totally unexpected, with Eugene, and the other gentleman. Together we shared a very pleasant moment. Who knows how the rest of the day went for the other two fellas. Hopefully they had a good day. I did.
I am no angel, and I don’t know whether either of the other two fellas were angels, but I’d like to believe that – for that very brief moment – angels were in our midst. And that, my friend, is a rare moment, one to treasure. So, yes, “don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it.”