It was 1979, and I was a sergeant on the police department's Northwest Team. I encountered two girls who had run out of gas, and were basically broke. They were on the way back to Kansas after a road trip, and had miscalculated their cash reserves. I sprung for $5 worth of regular at the Sinclair, so they could make it home. It isn't uncommon at all for police officers to help someone with a few gallons of gas, a bucket or chicken, or a box of diapers, but last weekend this one came back to roost from the mists of time. Here is the story.
Tonja and I took advantage of the Armistice Day weekend to take a trip to Kansas City for some Christmas shopping. We settled in for two nights at the airport Hilton. We stayed here a couple times before when we were flying from MCI, and liked the accommodations. It is a long ways from the Plaza, but there was a deal-to-good-to-refuse available, and it's close to one of Tonja's other favorite shopping areas, Zona Rosa. I started looking for a restaurant in the north metro for Sunday, so we wouldn't have to backtrack on our last night. I was thinking of someplace new, that we hadn't been to before. After a few minutes with Yelp, I stumbled upon Justus Drugstore in Smithville, MO, which was just a few minutes northeast of our hotel just beyond the fringe of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The reviews looked great, so I snagged a reservation.
Dinner was excellent, and we loved the restaurant. We chatted with our server, Cindy, about how pleased we were to find such a gem, and lamented our misfortune at living so far away. "Where are you from?" she asked. "Lincoln," we replied. "Ah, Lincoln," she said, "I have such fond memories of Lincoln. Back when I was 18, I got stranded in Lincoln on my way back from Iowa, and a police officer bought me some gas to get home." The hair on the back of my neck suddenly came to attention. "You had a girlfriend with you," I said, "Pretty sure that was me. You must be about 51 or 52 now."
We were both shocked and tingling. Tonja was speechless. Pretty soon, chef-owner John Justus was over at out table, and we were retelling the story. Cindy, it turns out, tells this story to most all of her guests from Lincoln. We posed for a group photo, and exchanged handshakes and hugs. What a night, what a dinner, and what a story! It was one of those moments when you realize that a bigger hand is moving the pieces on the chessboard of life.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
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9 comments:
What a wonderful story. And thank you for reminding me about the 'bigger hand that moves those pieces on the chessboard of life.' You will never know how much I needed to hear that this morning.
Great story. It's amazing how often one finds something in common with another in the most unlikely of places. All it requires most of the time is a friendly greeting to get the ball rolling. Earlier this year, we were visiting my daughter in Virginia and stopped in a small shopping center trying to find some specialty item my wife wanted. As we were leaving, a man saw my Nebraska plates and asked my wife where in the state we resided. We shortly learned that his grandmother was best friends with my wife's grandmother and that he and my wife had actually met those many years ago while each visiting grandparents.
Steve,
As I've been telling this story this week, I've been repeatedly reminded that virtually everyone has had these experiences in which they encounter someone from their past in the most unexpected circumstances. My favorite so far was from Bruce Wigodsky, who told me about running into a family friend, completely unexpectedly, at the Tree Tops Lodge--in Nepal. Imagine being on the other side of the world, in the shadows of the Himalayas, and running in to an old friend!
Great story but I thought you were going to talk about playing chess.
WOW
in vegas, that is how the time share people get your attention... "nebraska" then you look, start talking, they mention shows and free tickets, a few minutes later you look at your shirt and realize what's going on, later on you hide all your clothing with the word nebraska on it and you realize you have to go shirtless the rest of the trip, at least that's what my friends told me when I asked where my clothes went the next morning...
The idea of six degrees of separation is so true. Great story Director.
Gun Nut
Arrrg!!!!
No, the title of the post would have been, "Hook on the chessboard" with if that game was on his mind.
Tom,
I just wanted to let you know that I'm including your story in some small group curriculum that I'm writing for our church (Scottsdale Bible Church). Your story will be part of the introductory content for the passage of Acts 8:4-8; 26-40, where the follower of Jesus named Philip has a "chance encounter" with the Ethiopian on his travels. I so appreciate your practical experience serves as a great example of how we can be a blessing to others if we are selfless, generous, and available.
Have a great day!
Bryan McAnally
Scottsdale Bible Church
Scottsdale, AZ
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