josh Allan

my spiritual gift is not fixing cars, so i’m always a little conflicted when i see somebody stranded at the side of the road.

i always wonder what i’m supposed to do, because having me as your car assistance angel would be kind of like sending my mom over to fix your computer. no offense mom! … but no good. i can offer you my cell phone, but even 6 year olds have cell phones these days, so that’s not much.

today, for example, driving home there was a guy in a brand new jetta who was stopped at the end of the freeway exit ramp. i say stopped, but that would probably imply he had a choice in the matter, and i don’t think he did. he had the car in neutral and when the light turned green he began pushing. he was driving alone, so he didn’t have anyone to help him push; fortunately there is a gas station right there on the corner so he only had to go about 20 feet.

i slowed WAY down, hesitating, doing one of those “should i go!? should i stop!? should i go!?” motions with my brake-pedal-foot.

maybe jesus would have given him a little push with his car (a hybrid, no doubt) or conjured up some of those little light wand thingies with which to direct traffic around the scene, but i just drove past. most of the time, i’m a fairly terrible human being when it comes down to it.

i looked back in my rearview mirror to see a kind young black guy wearing a basketball jersey who was filling up at the station running to his assistance. there was another lady looking on to see if there was anything she could do, too. as i pulled out of sight, i saw the b-ball kid jump behind the jetta and begin pushing.

anne lamott says we’re always looking to connect with Spirit, and most of the time it’s when we are still, when we listen to music, or when we help somebody that we find it.

in that split second before i drove away, i saw It there, in the young man helping a complete stranger, whom he’ll most likely never see again, and probably won’t even know his name.