An Angel on the Turnpike

My car started to lurch, and I noticed my gas meter blinking red: Empty! Driving in the fast on the four-lane New Jersey Turnpike, I looked at my side mirrors, praying I could quickly get over to the shoulder and not cause an accident. It was a cold December Friday at 5 p.m. I’d just finished a photo shoot in Pennsylvania and looked forward to dining with my husband and in-laws.

How could I forget to put gas in the car? My heart hammered as I navigated the 70-mph traffic speed. Racing over four lanes at a dizzying pace…I just made it to the entrance of an exit…when my car rolled to a sputtering stop. Thank you, God, for guiding me here!

Beads of perspiration ran down my forehead, and I berated myself for not signing an emergency car service and wearing two-inch heels.  I had no choice but to wave down someone for help—car after truck whizzed by. The driver in each vehicle that exited didn’t even glance my way. My face and back were frozen from the cold.

Remembering the Good Samaritan story. I wasn’t beaten or robbed, but I understood how it feels to be ignored and in need of help.

Suddenly, a woman pulled over and lowered her passenger side window.

“Are you ok?”

Explaining my predicament, she offered to take me to a gas station. Relieved that a woman stopped who looked kind, I hopped in. I thanked her profusely and told her about my day and impending plans. She shared she was a nurse and had just finished a twelve-hour shift. I was amazed that she stopped. Yet she did and showed me a life-giving lesson on compassion: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

She told me about her life in India. She and her husband were born there and deeply loved her country. But it wasn’t a place where they could freely practice being a Christian. Sometimes, entire church services would be shut down, and everyone was told to disperse and go home. She didn’t want this for her children. Her husband was a doctor, and she was a physician’s assistant. However, due to the different criteria, they couldn’t apply for these roles when they came to the United States. So, they both took a step back and worked on reestablishing themselves by getting the U.S. degrees required.

Absorbing it all, I shared with her that I was a certified lay speaker and a member of the Network of Biblical Storytellers. I felt God’s presence in the car with us. Yes, I would be late for dinner, but this detour was a connection to a stranger that brought me peace in an unexpected challenge.

After a twenty-five-minute drive, we finally arrived at the gas station, and I thanked her for dropping me off, feeling overwhelmed with gratitude but more for sharing her story.

She shook her head, saying, “No worries, I will drive you back.”

“No. You’ve already done so much. I’ve already taken up precious time from you.”

She looked at my shoes, tilted her head, and raised her eyebrows.  “You’re not getting far with those shoes. It’s all right. I insist.”

I filled a gas can and got back in the car.

For those who don’t know the NJ Turnpike, she had to go in the opposite direction, again in heavy traffic. It took thirty-five minutes to return.

We continued to share our life stories as we passed the time. It felt like we had been friends for a long time. When we got to my car, she waited to ensure there was enough gas and the car would start.

I motioned for her to wait and got out to give her some money.

She looked at me and, with a tenderness I will never forget, said, “Go and do likewise.”

Tears in both our eyes, she drove off.

We were strangers from different cultures who learned the answer to the question, ” Who is my neighbor?”

Now, when my husband and I tell the Bible story of the Good Samaritan, we include this story first.

“Go and do likewise.”

May we know that God sends us angels when least expected.

Blessings to you in this holy season of hope.