Touched By An Angel......

Once upon a time......there was a young woman. She worked in a quaint little bookstore in a big city. 

She loved her little job and worked very hard at the day to day running of the store. At night she would go to college and study her chosen profession. Her life was very busy but she wouldn't have it any other way.

She had not long married and she and her new husband had moved to surburbia opting for a quieter  life away from the hustle and bustle of the big city.

The newly married couple were planning a long holiday over the Christmas period and had been saving their pennies for the extended break.

The young woman arrived at work a couple of days before she was to finish up for her long awaited holiday only to hear bad news from her employer. Business had been poorly of late and there was no way the young woman would be receiving her holiday pay.

With a heavy heart the woman wondered how she would pay her bills and still take her holiday.  The employer was sorry but there was nothing she could do about the situation. Maybe business would pickup in the next couple of days so money could be paid to her trusty young employee, however that seemed very unlikely.

The young girl walked the distance to the little bookstore the next morning with a heavy heart ,but still had great hope that the angels above would smile down on her and the money would come.

She looked up and suggested an amount of money required and asked that money be sent so that she may take her holiday.

The day began very slowly.  Customers looked around for long periods but bought very little.  Pleadingly she asked yet again for help from above. "Please send money today"

Lunch came and went and she had all but lost hope. A friend visited and that was nice but what she needed was some help from above.  She heard a door open and then heard heavy steps up to the door of the little bookshop. The heavy steps revealed a bent over man with a grey grubby coat on. He silently walked through the store and after a short period began to gather a wonderful array of literature. Books mounted and mounted up on the desk and the young woman began to think the man was going to hold up the bookstore. He was odd and muttered not a word. He looked like somebody who lived on the streets and definately not someone who could afford to buy so many books. The young woman noticed that the books he chose were books of great wisdom and life learnt stories. Surely this man could not be interested in such books ?

An hour passed and 20 something books were stacked up high on the desk. The young woman was very hesitant in adding up the total of  the books. The man refused to comment on polite conversation from her. He all but ignored her and she had grave fear in the pit of her stomach.

The man sat an old scratched travel bag on the counter. The woman's heart was beating right out of her chest. She braced herself for a holdup and hoped that another customer would save her and walk in the door at that very moment.

Alas noone appeared.

Again she offered small talk to the man hoping that a friendly tone would change his mind and she would be saved.

"Are you from around this neighbourhood, I haven't seen you in here before? "she said to him.

The unsmiling face finally looked up and stared straight into her eyes. "No," came his only answer.

Slowly, the young woman added the total of the large collection of books.  It had added up to a small fortune. She was still totally amazed at the topics of love and devotion and pure humbleness of these books. This man could not possibly read these type of books.

Hesitantly she told him the amount and he reached deep into the old ,scratched bag and pulled out his wallet. He opened it and pulled out a large wad of money.  He handed it to her, packed his purchases in his bag and quietly nodded his head and walked out of the door. Down the steps and out into the street he walked.

Heart still beating hard, the young woman waited ten seconds and began to follow him out of the store. She hurriedly ran down the stairs curious to see which direction the man walked in. There were very few cars parked out the front and the street was quiet. She looked both up and down the street and couldn't see him. Surely an older man so bent over couldn't move quite that fast ?  She felt a chill up her spine and slowly walked back up the steps and into the store still in awe of the events passed.

She sat there trying to calm herself down from the events and breathed a sigh of relief that things had finished so peacefully for her.

She looked again at the list of titles he had bought from her..........it was then that she saw it !

Surely not !!!!    She checked twice to make sure she wasn't dreaming. It couldn't be possible could it ?

The ammount the man had handed her in cash was the exact amount of money that was owing to her that would pay for her holiday. Unbelievable !

She was completely dumbfounded and relief swept through her. Her dreams had been answered.

She scratched her head and wondered something that seemed so unbelievable. She had wished with all of her heart that morning that the angels send her money today that would see her able to go on her holiday. Now that money was sitting here right before her eyes AND the man had barely said two words to her.

He had been  completely unassuming and not at all angelic looking, but he had given her the greatest gift.  She sat and smiled to herself and looked up through the pretty stained glass window into the sky.

She had no doubt in her mind that this man had been an angel.

Angels walk among us everyday. They come in all shapes and sizes and all colours. They are living creatures who offer love and hope to others and give with their whole hearts.

My angel was heaven sent and gave me exactly what I needed at the time.

If we ask, then we shall recieve. Hope is always there and if we are really lucky, then our prayers will be answered. I have no doubt in my mind that I had been touched by an angel that day. He had no wings, no flowing white robe or long blonde hair, BUT he had taught me another valuable life lesson.

Do not judge a book by it's cover. Beauty comes in many faces. Some beautiful, some not. We are all of the same colour blood, we all feel love and pain and stand under the same sky. We are all cabable of offering greatness to the world and reaching out to our neighbour.

I sit here now and smile and feel blessed at that fateful day.

The day the angel tapped me on the shoulder.

                                  xo