That Time the Holy Spirit Got My Attention

The doctor was running an hour behind. I went into the mode where you study the other patients in the waiting room to make sure no one gets called out of turn. That’s when I first noticed the guy.

He was a big, tall, African-American with long ringlets, in his 20’s. His foot was in a cast, his crutches leaned up against the chair next to him. With his left hand, the man scrolled the screen of his phone, reading something. With his right arm, he cradled a baby which looked to be about 10 months old. The baby reclined on daddy’s forearm, using the big bicep as a pillow. The little guy hummed as he reached up and stroked his daddy’s face. The two of them were a vignette of comfortable, family togetherness.

Watching that little hand softly touching daddy’s cheek, I felt their love radiating like a beam. I couldn’t turn away. A smile took over my face.

I snapped out of my reverie when my name was called and didn’t think of them again until I got to the check-out desk. A queue had formed and I was at the end. Directly in front of me was the daddy. Just beyond an open doorway, inside the waiting room, I saw the baby asleep in the arms of a woman I took to be his mother.

The man leaned against the wall, head down, lightly resting the crutches under his arms. We stood silently. When it was his turn, he awkwardly plied his crutches to the counter.

I couldn’t hear what he said, but I heard the office assistant say, “I’ll ask the office manager. Go have a seat over there and I’ll let you know.” Leaning heavily on his crutches, the man awkwardly lumbered to a chair next to the woman and baby.

The office assistant picked up the phone. Some of her words drifted my way. “…No insurance….Need to make a deposit…Our policy not to take checks…Wife couldn’t find a bank that would cash her check.”

A strange sensation overcame me. I felt a burning at the base of my spine. The heat spread up and out over my back and shoulders. It reached my head, I could feel sweat beginning to form. I was so hot! A lump rose in my throat. Tears began to form in my eyes.

She hung up the phone and looked at me, the only one in line now. “I’ll check you out.”

I stepped to the counter, pointed discreetly toward the couple and whispered, ““They owe a deposit?”

She froze, gave me a questioning look and nodded.

“Can I pay it?”

She nodded again and continued staring at me.

“I want to pay it.” Just like that, the heat evaporated. I began to smile.

Her face softened. “You don’t have to do that.”

“Yes I do. The Holy Spirit is making me.” Joy grew inside me. I felt like laughing.

“Are you sure?” She asked.

I responded with a grin and a nod.

“Just a minute.” She took a step toward the little family, but I stopped her.

“You don’t need to tell them now,” I whispered. “Wait until I’m gone, then you can tell them their deposit was made for them.”

“Bless you,” she said.

“Believe me, I really didn’t have a choice.”

Somehow, I couldn’t bring myself to tell her the whole story. That burning at the base of my spine? The Holy Spirit had kicked me in the behind!

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…” Galatians 5:22