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The Street Angel
by Holly Jensen God sent an angel today. I was crossing an intersection that also had a right turn lain. This is a tricky crossing. Being blind, I am dependent on the signals given me by my other four senses. In this case, primarily my senses of hearing and touch. Today, as I crossed the right turn lain, something went wrong. I somehow missed the guide strip, which is a small raised strip that several streets in this town have to help visually impaired pedestrians keep from veering into on-coming traffic. Today, I missed that strip. I found what I thought was the place where I needed to be, on the right side of the channel between the right turn lain and the street I needed to cross. The confusing thing was, there was a guide strip there, where it shouldn't have been and I couldn't find the tactile domes, other tactile guides placed there for blind pedestrians to mark the boundary of the street. As I tried to figure out where I was and line up to cross the street, I felt a hand gently tugging me to the left. The person didn't say a word, just tugged. I felt that I needed to follow this person. He probably saw where I needed to be and could help me. Normally, this sort of thing is a no-no. But I didn't detect any intention to harm in this person. To my surprise, he didn't line me up to cross the street. He led me across. One problem, he led me across the wrong street. Just after I thanked him and heard him respond with something I couldn't hear, I realized I was in the wrong place. To make a longish story short, I had to call for help. So why was he an angel if he steered me wrong. Because I'm as certain as I can be that I was headed for big trouble. I think that if I hadn't followed that guy, I'd have been hit. I think, because I found that guide strip, that I was somehow in the street instead of in the channel where I needed to be. So God sent a guy to get me lost, but in a safer place. Better to be lost where I could stand and wait for help than in the middle of a busy street. I may never know if he was flesh and blood, but I thank God for that man. ____ Written on Feb. 11, 2008 Holly Jensen is a recent college graduate with a BA in Intercultural Studies. She has been writing since the age of thirteen and hopes to continue for as long as God allows. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |