“A cheerful heart is good medicine." ~ Proverbs 17:22
No doubt - his next passenger was
an investment banker – the Canali suit, Borelli dress shirt and Franco tie gave
him away. Ferragmo’s completed the
uniform. Since most people regard
investment bankers as greedy drains on the economy in that "vampire
squid" sort of way, you’d think they’d dress less conspicuous. But a fare was a fare and he was a terminally
happy guy – a man who found the word of God could make his life seem less
insane.
“Surprise me, he said
and drifted back into oblivion as the taxi rumbled some Carlos Santana. “You can’t help but feel joyful if you’re
listening to Santana,” Mogamee said with a smile.
Jere’s throbbing headache fit his disastrous day. He hardly slept in days.
The huge account he’d courted for months slipped away this morning. His teenaged daughter’s application to
Princeton had been rejected. And to top
it all off, he’d landed a Jamaican cab driver whose English was
nearly incomprehensible.
But unlike most cabs, this car was immaculate. The carpets
were freshly vacuumed, and the cab actually smelled nice. That was something! Jere closed his eyelids and tried to relax. But as the cab approached LaGuardia airport,
he realized he’d forgotten his wallet at home.
“Could this day get any worse?”
Jere fumbled through his pockets, trying to explain things
to the taxi driver and scrounge up enough cash to pay the $35 fare. He found his passport – that was something!
Mogamee said “Catch you next time Mac!” He then retrieved Jere’s bag from the trunk
and carried it to the airport’s door.
“Thank you!” Jere offered thankfully. “Give me your address. I’ll pay you back.”
Mogamee reached into his pocket, pulled out an old receipt
and wrote down an address. “You can
drop off my money here,” he said. They
said goodbye with another handshake.
When he returned from LA, Jere went to the address Mogamee
gave me and found himself in front of a soup kitchen with a sign out front that
read, “Accepting cash donations to feed the hungry.” God had placed an angel in his path again; he
wondered how many times he’d failed to recognize them. He walked in and wrote a check for $1,000.
Life is full of positive experiences. Notice the sun warming your skin, the small
child learning to walk, and the smiling faces around you. Smell the rain; feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential by
reveling in the beauty of these experiences, and letting them inspire you to be
the most positive version of YOU.
Lord Jesus, help me live each day intentionally,
with a positive attitude? Help me
embrace life’s challenges with a smile on my face? Help me surround myself with people who make
me better. Amen
