A chance encounter puts things in perspective

By Kate McCarrell, columnist
Several weeks ago – on a Saturday to be exact, I was in a bad (emotional) way. I wanted to just crawl back in bed, throw the covers over my head and sleep off all that was going on in my life with the unrealistic hopes that it had been a bad dream. We were in town around lunchtime and I had not fed the boys yet. Knowing that I just didn't have it in me to throw something together quickly, I took the easy route and slid into a local fast-food drive-thru.
The boys were unusually wild. Wait, who am I kidding, they were normal. Like crying, fighting, car rocking “normal.” I ordered, paid, and by the time I pulled up to the window to get the food, I was in tears. I was just overwhelmed with life, my feelings were hurt and the kids were not helping the situation. I thought I was hiding behind my sunglasses pretty well but judging by the look on the gentleman's face when he opened the window to hand me our drinks, I knew I had been caught.
He said something like “its not a good day for you, is it?” And I managed to reply, holding back a sob, “I’ve had better.” After he came back to the window and handed me the food, he shook my hand and said “I don't know what you are going through, but whatever it is, just know that God is with you. He will take care of you.” In that moment, I felt some peace in his words and I cried more knowing that a stranger was nice enough to reassure me of that.
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