Last month, my manager called me and asked if I could cover an emergency night shift. It was in a service I haven’t worked in, and part of the incentives was a paid ride to the service. I obliged and booked a taxi to the place.
But I made a terrible mistake in the address. I changed the I for a 1 in the postcode, and the taxi man took me to a different location.
I got out of the taxi to a strange-looking environment, a narrow and weird road with no buildings around. I checked the postcode again and noticed the mistake. So I quickly checked the correct postcode on my Sat Nav, and It was a 53-minute walk and a 15-minute ride away. I tried to book another taxi, and the location was not known by all the taxi companies I called. And I realized I was in a big mess.
I was stranded, caught in between walking the distance or begging for a lift from the few vehicles that passed by. I tried the latter, but no one stopped. I called the service and told them what happened. I tried to send my location to them to pick me but it failed because of a poor GPS signal.
I decided to walk the distance. It was freezing cold. I was heavyhearted, confused, and angry.
I walked for about 7 minutes and got to a junction. By the left was something that looked like a pub. I was contemplating going in there to book a taxi from there or to continue my walk. I went halfway there, looked at the shoddy building, and felt there was no need. I turned back and continued walking.
A few minutes later, a car drove by my side and stopped. The driver rolled down his windscreen and said, “You’re looking for somewhere?”. I nodded with a pitiable look.
Hop in, he said.
I jumped in, lol.
I gave him the correct postcode, and he drove me straight to my destination.
When I got inside his car, he said to me, “You must have done something good today to your God,”
I’m still wondering how I got this stranded. I’ve been praying and asking God for mercy cos that’s usually how I feel whenever something bad happens to me, I answered.
No, I don’t think you did something bad this time, God only decided to send an angel your way and let you know that He exists.
I was surprised to hear him speak about God and angels. Yeah, maybe, I answered.
“I work with Uber Eats, and I came here for delivery. I was delayed but now I know why. God wanted me to help you”, he continued.
I smiled and thanked him again.
We got talking, and he told me he was a Muslim from Pakistan. He works for an IT company but does Uber Eats on his off days.
He mentioned the name of the IT company, and it happened to be the company that’s affiliated with us in IT issues. He gave me links to some of the challenges I was experiencing in my e-learning and how to navigate them.
Wow. This contact is definitely not a coincidence, I said to myself.
He told me why I was taken to the wrong address by the taxi man. He said that apart from the wrong postcode, there was road work that caused a diversion, and the taxi probably was not familiar with that area. So he missed the diversion and decided to drop me anywhere.
We got to my destination, I got off and we exchanged numbers.
I was an hour late, pained but happy.
Later that night, he called to find out how my shift was going and how the staff who was supposed to hand over to me reacted when I got in. I told him all that happened and thanked him again.
Two days later, I decided to call his number, and it was not going. Last night, I remembered him again and tried his number. It was still not going. I noticed he hadn’t read the message I sent earlier.
Could it be that he was truly an angel? I was confused. I only know his first name, nothing more.
Whoever he is, one thing is certain. He was sent to help me that night. He said he sighted me from a distance, noticed my confused state, and turned through the roundabout to get to me.
He did not only help me with a lift, but he also gave me links to IT issues I have been struggling with.
No doubt, God comes through for us in different ways. It could be through a delay, a disappointment, a disaster, or other situations that we don’t like. We often seek Him through the doors of ease and comfort but He’s not always there.
Some situations don’t naturally appeal to our desires, but we must learn to understand and submit to them. Sometimes, we only see the darkness in situations without seeing the rays of light that shine through it.
As a child or young adult, that current struggle in the classroom, at home, or the playfield may be God’s temporal design for you. Those situations that you cry over like getting cut from a desired role, receiving difficult news concerning your loved ones, being betrayed by friends or family, the disappointments in school or at work, and so on, may be divinely designed for your good.
If it’s bitter today, it may be for better tomorrow. Look beyond the pain and believe in the glory behind it. Be grateful to God both in good and bad times.
The essence of true blessing is seeing God’s presence in our daily lives, both in good and bad times. That should reshape our paradigm for evaluating how and when we should give thanks and, of course, do that without ceasing.
✍️ Amara Ann Unachukwu.
