This event was rather recent! In public we’re still cautious due to COVID “caution.” One day last week, we needed to make a visit to our bank. Before exiting the car, we proceeded to “mask up” before entering the bank. Funny isn’t it that years ago, a person entering a bank adorned with a mask would immediately be “suspect.”
Walking through the front door, it seemed that we were the only “masked clientele.” As we approached the area where a teller was located for my husband to transact his business.
I was standing next to him and it wasn’t long before I noticed a young man sort of parading back and forth and fidgeting with papers. His eyes were piercing, and it was quite noticeable that he was keen to stroke or poke at odd things that were close to where he was.
He appeared as though he might be about 14 to 16 years of age, so at first, I assumed he was just curious about the variety of materials on display as he gazed around the teller area.
Many years ago, I worked at a bank and we were schooled to be alert to people acting strangely. This young man certainly qualified. My attention was focused on him at this point, wondering why his behavior was a little odd.
As some time had elapsed, it became clear that he was in the bank with an older gentleman, perhaps his dad. There was no conversation between the two of them, but every once in awhile, this young man would glance over to the older man. Watching the two of them was like piecing together a puzzle. Yet, the pieces weren’t clear as to their business at the bank.
Within about ten minutes a female employee approached the dad indicating that he would need to wait a few minutes before being served as there were other customers ahead of him. Shortly after that, the young man moved over closer to this older man and sat down in a vacant seat. Yes, I figured out that they were together.
It wasn’t long before the teller advised my husband that we would need to be seated and wait for the bank manager to have a word with us. Now, we too were waiting for an appointment.
I didn’t think it would be a long wait, but as we entered the waiting area, the young man rose from the chair and glanced over to me. He began motioning with his hands for me to sit down in the chair he had occupied.
He never spoke a word, noticing his gaze, he looked directly at me and continued pointing to the now empty chair.
It was at this point I began to feel uncomfortable. I was thinking to myself, I really don’t need to sit down, as I figured our wait wouldn’t be long and I wanted to remain standing.
But this young man had the insistence of a policeman. He continued to glance my way persistently pointing. I can be slow at times, but it was now quite obvious that he wanted “me to sit down” in that chair.
I smiled and nodded my head in an east-west position indicating that I wasn’t interested in sitting in the chair.
Didn’t I just use the word “persistence” to describe his antics? After several more points from this young man, I finally thought to myself, he means business.
So, as not to cause any more stress to this young man, I “sat down.” He smiled with delight and glanced away.
To my surprise, the older man said to my husband and I, “He doesn’t talk.” The puzzle seemed complete. His dad never told us what was wrong, but this sweet-natured young man obviously noticed I was older than him, and he felt I should have the honor of being comfortable by sitting in that empty chair. A chair he could have chosen to remain in himself.
Immediately after the final piece of the puzzle came into view, I realized that God used this young man “to honor me.” I felt like I was going to go into tears. You may ask why. It’s because I didn’t see clearly enough to realize all the elements of this encounter.
God was blessing me with this boy who couldn’t speak to show me he cared enough for my comfort.
Even as I communicate this scenario on paper, there’s a tender tug in my heart at how the Lord was asking me to “sit down,” and enjoy the fact that He used someone who had some form of physical impairment to bless my life.
The sensitivity and kindness of this young boy was so paramount in my mind that God was making Himself known through the treasure of this person’s attentiveness to me.
KINDNESS IS A GIFT…AND SOMETIMES DELIVERED WITHOUT LANGUAGE
This episode at the bank left “me speechless;” but so filled up with a quiet appreciation for how the Lord makes Himself known to us in sometimes “unidentifiable ways.”
We often overlook the fact that our loving Heavenly Father is concerned about the “little details” of our lives. Matthew 10:29 “What is the price of two sparrows – one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.”
Cups of Cold Water 