The Kindness of Strangers
I'm reading Donald Miller's book Through Painted Deserts right now. It's about a road trip from Texas to Oregon that he and his friend Paul went on years ago, and the things that were going through his mind at that time. It's been a good read, even though I'm still near the beginning of the book.
It turns out that the old Volkswagen van that they took on this trip broke down on their first day out. They pulled off the highway and headed into a small town to get it fixed, only to find out that there was only one mechanic there, and he was out of town that day. However, the people they talked to informed them that there was a man in town named Ben that owned an old VW van just like theirs, and that he might be able to help them.
So they followed the directions to this stranger's house and met him. Immediately upon hearing about their car trouble, Ben went about fixing their van with no apprehension whatsoever. It turns out it was an easy fix, and they were on their way in no time. They promised to send him a postcard from the Grand Canyon when they got there, and he enthusiastically gave them his mailing address so he could get it. Then he waved them off and they continued on their journey.
This story reminds me a lot of what my fellow travelers and I went through on our way to Colorado last March. Our van broke down on our first day and we had to rely on the kindness of strangers to get back on the road again. It was absolutely amazing to see the ways that people blessed us that day, and it touched us in a way we'll never forget.
The kindness of this stranger touched Donald and Paul in a way that undoubtedly affected them for the rest of the trip and beyond. And perhaps it's affected everyone who's read this book as well.
