Guided ...

Marlene Terry

Do you believe there are times when without much effort on our part, a higher power guides us into a place where we can perform His miracles?

I do!

It was just an average night at work not that long ago. 
I'd left home hours earlier, a short shift ahead of me.

I really hadn't seen the need to take along anything but my driver's license, since there wasn't any time-off scheduled for lunch or a break. 
But for some reason, I was prompted to open my wallet, take out the $20 bill inside and shove it into my pocket.

Things were slow all night with just a few customers roaming the aisles now and then. And with just minutes left until closing I began the cleanup and putting-away process.

That's when I saw her ... a young woman walking toward me, one of the cashiers walking with her. 

"Where would we find bobbin cases for Singer sewing machines?" The cashier asked.

... The question confused me. As far as I knew, we'd never had parts readily available for any brand of sewing machine. ... And I told her so.

"But they," speaking of a clerk in another store she'd visited, "called here last night and someone said you would have a bobbin case for my machine," the young woman replied as she fought back the tears welling up in her eyes.

My heart immediately went out to her as I noticed how she was dressed. She was clean and well kept. But her attire was also well used. No doubt. She probably didn't have the means to do much.

She continued her story, telling me that she'd been almost finished with her child's Halloween costume, when one of those "PLEASE, not now" mishaps occurred.

For whatever reason, she said smiling to try and lighten the mood, the needle had entered her machine at a bad angle, continued on to hit the bobbin case, and broke that little plastic part to smithereens.

"Just my luck," she said.

"I've been everywhere. And the only place I could find the part I need, they wanted $14 for it. 
"I only have $11," she opened her wallet to show me, "and I need to buy another needle too."

I quickly opened the drawer by the cash register and retrieved a card from a reputable sewing machine repairman, who I knew was reasonable and also having many parts on hand.

We called. ... His price was the same ... and he'd have to order it.

The young woman's face dropped at the news. And my mind raced to think of another solution. Turning away from her for a moment, I placed my hands in my pockets and felt the $20 bill.

... She was stunned when I handed her the money and suggested, wide-eyed and enthusiastically, that she HURRY back to the place she'd found the part, PAY for it and then RETURN HOME to finish her project.

"I can't take it," she said choking on her words as tears streamed down her face. "You don't have to do that. I'll do something else!"

After much time and convincing she finally relented. And with thanks and a big hug for me, she took the money and turned to leave.

"You need to know," she called back to me, "I prayed for help before I left home."

... As I said. There are times when we are all, for sure ... guided.

♦ Hope you'll let me share YOUR stories and photos here at my residence "In a Nutshell." Email me at nutshellstories@gmail.com.