Last night I stayed at school until after 11 p.m. trying to tie up some loose ends. Usually I check my Droid just as I leave to be sure nothing is left undone, but given the lateness of the hour and my level of exhaustion, I just grabbed my bags and left.
Upon arriving at home, I went to pull my Droid from my purse for recharging. But it wasn't there. I had last used the Droid to call up case law for discussion in torts class. Positive it was still lying beneath the lectern, knowing the doors were now locked and I had no key, I went to bed and tried to sleep without worrying. Had I only followed my normal pattern of checking the phone, it wouldn't have been left behind.
This morning I planned to leave at 7:30 a.m. so as to arrive at school at 8 a.m. sharp, when I knew the doors would first open. But I finished breakfast at 7:15 and had 15 minutes to kill. I pulled out my AAA magazine, and decided not to worry about getting to school right at 8. Since this was a Friday, odds were high that the classroom would not be in use. It was, therefore, 8:15 a.m. when I left for Harrisonburg--15 minutes later than originally planned.
The Droid was right where I thought it would be, beneath the lectern propped on the table. I grabbed that lifeline (my computer connection, scheduler, note pad, etc.) and headed for the door, only to see a train blocking the tracks on the route I usually take. So I took a right and headed home on I-81--something else I never do.
My gas tank was low (normally I fill it at the halfway point, but last weekend the gas station I usually use was full and cars were waiting in line. I didn't have the patience to wait so I left without filling up). In Mauzy, I checked the gauge and decided to fill the tank there instead of in Broadway. Again I never buy gas at Mauzy because I prefer to support my home town business owners when I can. Buying gas in Broadway today, however, because of the route change, would necessitate left turns--something else I always try to avoid. So I pulled over at Mauzy and filled my tank.
Alas! the machine did not print a receipt. Normally I would just leave and not worry about it. But because this was an unfamiliar station, I opted to go inside and request a duplicate. I didn't want to risk being accused of not paying. Another delay of a few minutes.
As I left the station, a young man sitting in a car parked next to a pump called out from the driver's seat of a car.
"Excuse me, ma'am. Do you by any chance have $4, enough to buy a gallon of gas so that I can get home?"
A quick scan gathered no threatening movements or aggressiveness, only calm. There were piercings and long hair. Nothing though that sent out any warning bells.
Now I never travel with cash in my wallet. But earlier this week, I had been paid cash for several textbooks and hadn't had the opportunity to deposit the money. So again, because of an unusual circumstance, I happened to have $4 for a gallon of gas, exactly what he had requested (later I wished I'd been more generous!). I had no qualms about giving him the money; he was parked at a gas pump after all. So I handed over the cash and headed on my way as he went inside the station requiring cash or card payment before pumping gas.
Now I have never been one to believe too much in divine appointments. People are so fickle and prone to act on whim and impulse that I find it hard to imagine a God orchestrating a set chain of events. Nonetheless I had to admit that this series of events was way too coincidental for me felt very providential.
And so it was that I soon found myself headed down Route 259 with great joy in my heart. Just maybe divine appointments do occur after all.
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