No Nametag
We know that we worship only God, never angels. But these guardian beings, given to us by God, are so near that it is natural to ask them for help.
That’s what Terry Polakovic did a few months ago, with blessed results.
Terry lives a busy life in Denver, and last April she learned that she would be attending a conference in Boston in June. It would be the perfect time and place for a mini-vacation with her children, Katie, 15, and Joe, 12, so she decided to take them along. “In summer, I have to think of things for them to do so they won’t become vegetables by the time school starts,” Terry says. “So money is tight then. But this opportunity seemed well worth the expense.”
Terry made the plane reservations for Saturday instead of Sunday. It would give them a whole day to explore Boston together before the conference started.
The day finally came, and the children, ecstatic over their adventure, loaded their luggage into the car. Terry’s husband pulled out of the driveway, headed towards the Denver airport, and Terry checked the tickets, something she had forgotten to do. Suddenly she gasped. Impossible! But she looked again, and it was true. Today was Sunday! She had completely forgotten that she had made reservations for Saturday. The flight had left without them
yesterday.
“I was devastated, and so were Katie and Joe,” Terry says. “They had looked so forward to going to Boston. But I knew, given our tight summer budget, that I couldn’t pay for their tickets a second time.”
What to do? Terry decided to continue on to the airport, and explain the situation to someone there. No doubt it was an impossible mission, given the reputed difficulties within the airline industry, but she had no other choice. Leaving the kids in the car with their dad, Terry entered the airport, and found the ticket exchange counter. “For some strange reason, the woman there had no one in her line,” Terry says. “So I went up to her and told her that I had made a mistake and that all three of us really needed to go to Boston, and that I had no money to pay, even to exchange the tickets. She looked back at me. Then she just started typing on her computer.”
It was awkward. Was the woman dismissing Terry? Should she say anything else? Instead, Terry began to ask her angel for help. “I asked my guardian angel, and her guardian angel, and for about ten minutes I stood there praying and she stood there typing. We did not say one word.”
Finally, the woman looked up, gathered some papers, and handed them to Terry. Terry could hardly believe it. They were new tickets.
“I AM NEVER SUPPOSED TO DO THIS,” the woman said.
“I know,” Terry nodded. “That’s why I’ve been praying to both of our guardian angels.”
“It must have worked,” the woman responded, and turned back to her computer.
Somewhat dazed, Terry collected the kids, kissed her husband good-bye and proceeded to the check-in counter. The girl there scrutinized the tickets carefully. “Where did you get these?” she asked. “These seats are never given out until the last minute, and they only go to people in great need.”
“The woman at that counter gave them to us,” Terry explained.
“Well, I don’t get it, but..” The check-in girl shrugged, and processed the tickets. A few moments later, passengers began to board. Terry and her children had no trouble finding their seats. They were all in the first row.
“We had a wonderful time in Boston,” Terry says. “The kids bought a City Pass which allowed them to get into museums and other places, and quickly learned their way around. And I told them over and over again to thank our guardian angels.”
Every time she tells the story now, Terry says a little prayer for the woman at the ticket exchange counter. And wonders why every airline employee was wearing a nametag that day—-except her.
We don’t HAVE, the Bible tells us, because we don’t ASK. Maybe we should learn to do that more often.
(C) 2002 Joan Wester Anderson www.joanwanderson.com
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