Paying a Visit
During the years of extensive travel in his work, Tom Delaney loved to visit Our Lord present in the tabernacles of Catholic churches everywhere. Once, while in Atlanta, he spotted old Sacred Heart Church down in the city on the beginnings of Peachtree Street. Always very security conscious in strange places, Tom pulled up, and took a good look around. The place was deserted. There might have once been a thriving school here, Tom mused, and perhaps a convent. But everything was closed except the church, now designated as a historical site. From the outside, it seemed beautifully preserved, and it seemed to reach out to him. Life on the road was lonely, and Tom would heed its warm welcome and spend some quiet time with God inside.
Tom parked, and approached the front door. But as he tugged on the handle, he realized it was locked. Disappointed, he went to a second nearby door, but it too was locked. Tom thought of the days when churches never closed, and felt a keen disappointment. He turned to go back to his car…
….and almost tripped over the shoes of a man standing immediately behind him. “I was astonished,” Tom says, “since I hadn’t heard or sensed anyone approaching.”
Tom looked the stranger up and down. “I saw a smiling fellow, dressed in forest green work clothes…pants and shirt, black hair well groomed, my height and size generally, with a huge clump of keys at his belt,” Tom says. The man was obviously the janitor.
“Would you like to get in?” the janitor asked.
“Yes, please,” Tom said.
“Like a flash, his arm came up reached past me, key in the lock, tumblers turned, and the door was open,” Tom says. “He didn’t move a step, nor did I. He didn’t fumble for the correct key, there was no process of selection, nor did he even look down. It happened so quickly, I had no chance to move out of his way and let the man perform this little task.”
Thanking him Tom opened the door wide to enter. Then, as traveling businessmen often do, he thought about giving the janitor a tip for his kindness. Tom turned, caught the door as it was still closing. “Sir…” he began as he looked out.
But there was no one there. No green-clad figure moving away, no keys rattling in the deserted air. Astonished, Tom kicked down the doorstop and hurried outside to the nearest corner of the church. No one down that way, and no door to hide him… Quickly Tom went to the other side. No one could have escaped scrutiny that quickly, but again, Tom was the only person there.
Slowly Tom realized that God had touched him with a special gift that day. As he went back into the church to share some time with the Lord, he gave thanks that, with angels always nearby, there is never a reason to feel alone.
(C) 2004 Joan Wester Anderson www.joanwanderson.com
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Comments
I used to live outside of Atlanta and I believe I know exactly where that church is! (not a heck of a lot of Catholic Churches down there)! Anyway, I just wanted to say that the above story is so much more “common” than a lot of people realize! I’ve heard many stories like this and they always touch my heart. I had a similar thing happen to me in a totally different location when I was young. When “somebody” does something nice for you and is gone “In the blink of an eye”, I believe an Angel is no other explanation! My only wish is that things like this would happen more often to non-believers. Perhaps they do, only they don’t get reported as often!
excellent story.