The Angel

Hebrews 13 Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unaware.

Ken and I met Ronan in the Ben Gurion Airport in Israel on our trip last year. He had been a passenger on our flight from Atlanta but we met him in the train station and he was, strangely enough, headed for the same small town as we were. He noticed that we were having some problems with just about everything; luggage, exchanging money, buying tickets and finding the correct stops so he offered to help. We were hot, tired and grateful. He helped carry our luggage and we enjoyed talking with him so much that we missed our stop. We shared a taxi with him from the train station to our hotel and he insisted on paying the fare and even accompanied us to the desk to make sure there would be no problems with our check in. After dinner he came back to the hotel to visit and brought us an avocado and a map.

When I asked him why he was going so far out of his way for strangers he wrote this saying in Hebrew in my journal; loosely translated is says, How do you behave with your friend? Exactly as you want them to behave with you. He was invaluable to us that first night and was our first introduction to Israel.

On the day we went to Jerusalem, as I wrote about earlier, we were lost in the city of Netanya. It was market day and very crowded, hot and frustrating. So in the middle of this throng of people shopping, lost and needing directions, my husband taps a shop keeper on the shoulder to ask if he spoke English. The man was pulling a cart out of a business with his back to us and when he turned, it was Ronan. I am not sure who was more surprised, him or us. There was probably six hundred people in this square and we tap the only guy we know on the shoulder. So he leaves his shop with other employees and walks us to the bus station, helps us exchange money and speaks to the bus driver to make sure we get off at the correct stop.

That was the last time we saw him. Ken says he still gets emails from him but I don't believe it. To me he is an angel. A bright spot in a heartache. An angel, unaware. Jesus said there is a reward waiting for those who offer a cool drink in His name.

So to all of the Ronan's in our lives....May the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.

How do you behave with your friend? Exactly as you want them to behave with you.