Into the Clear Blue Sky

So I was driving home from the grocery store yesterday with Ian in the back seat. It was a chilly, blustery morning, and I had finished my weekly shopping much earlier than I normally do. As I crossed the overpass above State Road 37, I saw a huddled figure walking over the bridge. Glancing at the person while driving by, I noticed that it was a middle-aged woman. Since there is nothing on that highway for a couple more miles, I decided to stop and see if she needed a ride. Chances were, if she was walking that direction, she was probably going to someplace in my neighborhood and would probably appreciate not having to walk the whole distance in that weather. After inviting her, she got in my car, out of the wind.

Her name was Eileen. She was going to the license branch near my house to take care of a title matter with her RV. Her car broke down a week ago, and she's relatively new to Bloomington and didn't know anyone, which is why she was forced to walk. After guessing that she was a student, I asked what she was studying. As it turns out, she's a Ph.D. student in Human and Family Resources, focusing on miscarriage intervention and therapy. Interesting! I informed her that I recently had a miscarriage, and she began to immediately open up to me and explain why she chose this particular career path. It seems that several different events in her life have served to prepare her to work in this field, not the least of which was her daughter's experiencing a rather horrid miscarriage with very little emotional or physical support. She's also written a short book designed to help women through the loss of a child, whether unborn or not.

Once we got to the license branch, I gave her my phone number so she could call me when she was finished and I could take her back into Bloomington. Because she seemed so independent, I was surprised when she actually did call me about 45 minutes after I got back to the house. So, Ian and I jumped back in the car and picked her up from the license branch. By this time, it was sleeting horribly. I was so glad she didn't have to walk 5-6 miles in that! However, she admitted that the only reason she allowed me to give her a ride again was so she could give me a copy of her book, which she did once we arrived at her house. We parted ways then, after she shared that she felt the universe brought us together so we could participate in "reciprocal assistance." I smiled to myself as I thought, "Yes, the 'Universe,' indeed."

I'm so thankful to God for giving me the opportunity to meet this highly interesting woman. I almost drove right by her, thinking that I had groceries in the car, or that I might be putting my son in "danger" by picking up a strange person on the side of the road, but God spoke as clearly to me as He ever has that I needed to stop. Maybe it was for my benefit. Maybe it was for her encouragement. Maybe it was both.

--Lisa

PS: If you're interested in a copy of her book, email me, and I'll put you in contact with Eileen.