here i am, send me

I've been picking up the Publix donations the last few days because covid is spreading to our back of the house volunteers. Sometimes when it is just for a couple days, it is easier for me to just go and do something instead of trying to find an alternate person to schedule.

Yesterday I got to Publix and they had the regular bakery donations as well as three more carts filled with individually wrapped loaves of fresh baked bread. Sooooo much bread. The manager told me that the stores were having a competition to see who could get the most customers to donate $1, and each dollar would purchase a loaf of bread for their local food bank. I loaded up my car and every available empty crevice was crammed with loaves of bread. I was a bit more organized in the beginning, but when I realized just how many loaves there were, I just shoved them anywhere. I couldn't even see out of the back of my car and a light came on telling me that I hadn't even closed the hatch the entire way because there was so. much. bread.

When I got to the food bank the roads were a ghost town. I unlocked the door and brought my purse inside with me. Even though the streets were empty I didn't want to leave my wallet and phone in the car, because common sense, right? 

After I got all the bread inside I started bringing in the baked goods. Since there was so much bread and not enough room on the table, I decided to go ahead and mark all the baked goods and put them on the correct shelves. When I went out to my car to get the very last load I must have shut the door behind me. I don't remember. I had been leaving it open in between my trips from my car to inside the food bank. I forgot (or maybe I didn't know) that the door automatically locks behind you, and when I went to open the door I realized I had locked myself out, with my keys and phone inside.

I walked around the downtown square area knowing that none of the stores would be open at 7 on Sunday morning, but I thought maybe I'd see someone and ask for their phone, but I didn't. An antique phone booth would have been handy. As I was walking back to the food bank I flagged down a police officer who thought I was waving at him to be nice. He finally realized I wasn't, and when I explained my situation he said, "I'm doing something right now, but I'll call someone for you."

Uh, ok. So I sat on the bench outside of the food bank and waited. And waited. And waited some more. By this time it had been almost an hour and I knew that Owsley would be worried by now. I knew being stranded wasn't a huge deal because eventually someone would come looking for me, but it bothered me that I had no way of letting Owsley know that I was ok. 

I said a prayer for help and then a minute later a man comes jogging by.

"Hey, do you need some help?"

I asked him if he had a phone and he told me he usually runs with a phone, but this morning he wanted some quiet time. I explained to him what had happened and he tells me that he lives 15 minutes away and that he would run home, grab his phone, and drive back. As he is running down the sidewalk he tells me his name is Tony.

Blah, blah, blah, everything turns out ok and they all live happily ever after. 

Since I had called Peppy from Tony's phone I had his number, so I decided to text him later to thank him again and let him know that I had been able to get back into the food bank to collect all my things. I told him that right before he jogged by I had prayed for some help. This was his response: 

Thank you for letting me know. Just got back from Church and was going to go by again to make sure. Prayer is a powerful thing for sure. I pray constantly that God will always have me to be who He needs me to be and where He needs me to be. I left you honestly feeling like I did not do enough to encourage you as I think He needed me to. This why I am so glad you sent this message. He used both of us today. I stopped to help but you have helped and encouraged me more than you know. Thank you for YOUR heart. I barely met you and can tell you have a big heart (leaving donations), you have patience (sitting there waiting), and Faith since you prayed. Don't ever lose those and the importance they have. God Bless you and your family Deanna. 

Tony

I teared up at his message. The Lord is always using his people, even in the mundane. He is always listening and we are never truly alone if his Spirit lives in us. I didn't know this man was a christian, but I was nudged to text him and tell him that I had prayed for assistance, so I followed that little nudge. Not only did he go out of his way to help me, but he also spiritually uplifted and encouraged me. 

I thought of the verse in Isaiah where he says, "Here I am, send me."

In a world of manipulated division and senseless violence, let's all be Tonys.