When Your Plan Gets Interrupted......

Well, this morning turned out to be interesting in ways I never expected when I woke up. I had plans with my granddaughter to take her driving. She's learning and is getting better and better, and wanted a third lesson this week. We enjoy the time spent together and she listens to my stories and tells me some of her own. But I was running late. I pulled out of my driveway and almost got hit by a speeder. The car from the south that I had plenty of time to get past seemed to speed up instead of slowing as the truck and I adjusted our space so as to be clear of each other. Thanking God, we all managed to make it safely down the street. While I waited three cars back from the corner, I saw a woman who was wandering in the intersection of my block and a four lane road known locally as Route 101. There's a traffic light there, but she was ignoring it and walking out into the roadway and back again, hands up in her hair as if she was attemptiing to braid it. She didn't have a care in the world; or of the traffic. When I got to the corner, she was on the sidewalk, so I kept going, but as I looked into my rear view mirror to check on her, she was back in the street again. I wanted to call 911, but I forgot my phone at home. I could have turned around to go back and get it, but I decided it was faster to go to the corner deli and ask them to call the police for help for her. When I got to the deli,there was an outside table with five people sitting there, enjoying breakfast and some sunshine. I walked up to them, excused myself and asked if I could use someone's phone or if one of them would call 911 to request help for this woman. I told them her story. They couldn't believe it and wanted to help, and one of the men dialed for me and handed me his phone. When the officer answered, I told him it wasn't my phone and explained the situation to him. He asked me all the same questions twice, I guess to see if I said the same thing each time, and then asked me for my phone number, then remembered that I didn't have mine. I gave him my name and my cell phone number. He assured me he was dispatching officers to the location right away. I thanked him, hung up, and returned the phone to its owner. The people there were incredulous that I had taken the time to do this, and thanked me. I thanked them again, and decided to go home and get my phone in case the police decided to check back with me. When I got to my street, the woman was still wandering in and out of the main road. I went home, grabbed my phone, and then went back to the end of the block and parked a distance from the corner and went to talk with her and see if I could get her to stay off the street until the police arrived. She was defensive and not interested in anything I had to say, and kept telling me that she's, fine, she knows the streets, she lives on the street, she knows what she's doing. I just kept asking her to please step out of the road and onto the sidewalk. She continued along the same vein, and then began telling me that I shouldn't be talking to street people, it's not safe, I could have trouble; things like this. I told her I just wanted to help her and to get her out of the road an onto the sidewalk. And I said, "Listen honey, I just want you to be safe." "Don't you call me honey!" she said. So I apologised, introduced myself, and asked for her name. So she told me and warned me again about not aggravating street people. I asked her if she needed anything, and she said, "Yeah. You got a couple of bucks for me?" So I told her I did, but that I wouldn't give it to her unless she stayed on the sidewalk. This went on for a few minutes, and she warned me again and then asked for the money. So I told her I would go and get it, but that I wouldn't give it to her unless she got on the sidewalk. So I got some cash for her, and walked back, but on the opposite side of the street, because she was now in the middle of the lane of cars trying to exit my street. She wanted the money, but I refused unless she came over and stayed on the sidewalk. She finally gave in. She warned me again about messing with street people as she put out her hand for the cash. I gave it to her and she shoved it into her pocket and thanked me. Just then, the police arrived. She made a remark about, "And now the cops are here.", and turned around and walked right over to the car. I went back towards my car and hung around for a few minutes, and a second patrol car pulled up. I left at this point, but by the time I got to the corner, she had them walking up the sidewalk with her. A third car arrived, and she had crossed the street with her escorts. I went driving with my granddaughter, and we both had interesting stories to swap. The thing is, I had prayed right away for her safety and for help. When she was warning me, I was in perfect peace. I had no fear. I knew that God was with me and that I was in the right place at the right time. She needed help. I gave what help I could, and the police did the rest. I don't know what happened with her, but I trust God with her. It wasn't an opportunity to pray for her or to lead her to the Lord. Maybe someone else will one day. But today, I was there. That's what she needed and what I could give. God stopped by and helped me help her. He put people where I needed them to call for help. He gave me peace and patience to help her and stay with her until the rest of the help arrived. And I'm just so glad He did.