A divine encounter?

This afternoon, Tyler and I had to go to the dreaded Driver's License place because my license is just about to expire, and secondly because we dropped Tyler's in the lake on Saturday. We both would have preferred a root canal to going there because...well y'all know the routine at those places.

Anyway, I'm sitting there waiting (something I've become an expert at lately--ha!) and I'm pouring over my referral packet of information about Miss "Gan Li Ming" that's mostly written in Chinese characters. Of course it's "Greek to me," but I just keep staring at it like I'm going to have some sort of sudden epiphany and be able to miraculously translate Mandarin into English. I don't know, I just can't stop staring at it. Anyway, I look up and spot an Asian man across the room. Oh yeah, the wheels start to turn. Now any of you who know me, know that I am pretty proficient at conducting "Man-on-the-street-interviews" with just about anybody who arouses my curiosity. I've been known to embarrass many a friend, son and husband doing this. So Tyler starts, "Mom, PLEASE, don't do it. You can hear a pin drop in here." Undeterred, I grab that pink folder and head across the room. Tyler pulls his hat down over his face and sinks down into his chair. Everyone looks at me. On a mission, I walk up to the sweet angel, ask him if he's Chinese, and YEP he is! I KNEW it! My heart starts to race. I ask him if he READS Chinese. YEP he does! I KNEW it! I ask him if he'd translate "a little something" for me. YEP, he'd be glad to. I glance back and now everyone in the room is REALLY listening, and Tyler is horrified! I open up my folder and show him the new love of my life, and say, "See that sweet thang (yes 'thang'; I don't say 'thing'). Well, I'm going to Jiangxi to get her in a few weeks. I don't know jack about her except that I CRAVE her. But this folder "knows" about her, and I'm waiting on a translation, but since you're here,...." Well, this precious man smiles the sweetest smile this side of heaven, and tells me it'd be his pleasure. Thank You, Jesus!! I turn around, look at Tyler with that "I-told-you-so-expression," but he still is trying to disown me. However, everyone else in the room is now just about on the edge of their seats, waiting with anticipation, for what he'll tell me...He pours through the pages and says, roughly, "Your baby (Yes, he said MY BABY) was found on July 8th, 2007 on the steps in front of a small Social Welfare Institution by the police. They estimated her birthday to have been June 30th, making her only about 8 days old. She was found at sunrise, hence the name "Li Ming" because it means something like "at dawn or sunrise." She appeared healthy and beautiful. She stayed at this SWI until Nov. 7, 2007, when she was transferred to Jianxi SWI in Jiangxi Province." He told me a lot of other details, but I was so astonished that now I can't even remember them all. I was patting him on his shoulder, saying, "Oh my, you don't know how you're blessing me! You are giving me the greatest blessing! Oh, you just don't know..." Again, I glance over to Tyler and he is bug-eyed, and giving me the "Cut it off " motion with the fingers across the neck. But all the total strangers give me the nod...THEY are dying to hear more! It was great! He interprets all the medical lab results, info. about immunizations she'd had, that she was HIV negative, that she appeared very healthy, etc. He told me that she is a deep sleeper and that she sleeps approximately 7 to 7 !! PRAISE JESUS!! He said she eats rice cereal, powdered milk, and fish soup. Yummy! He tells me that she loves the outdoors....that she loves and responds to music...that she is attached to her caretaker...that she smiles and responds to "LiMing" knowing it is her name...and a whole bunch of other things. Again, I'm crying and he's smiling and the whole room has forgotten about their miserable wait. It was the best visit to the Driver's License place I've ever had!

"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:2