Was that an angel?

​    Have you ever had something happen in your life and you wondered how it turned out the way it did, all the while thanking God!
   It happened to me back in 1997. I can’t remember if it was the spring or summer of that year. I was wrapping up course work toward my BS in Agricultural Journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia and was given an assignment in a magazine course to photograph at Lamberts Cafe in Sikeston, Mo.
   If you’ve never been to Lamberts Cafe, the original is in Sikeston just off Interstate 55 south of Cape Girardeau. There is also one in Ozark, Mo., on Highway 65 south of Springfield and a third location in Foley, Ala.  Lamberts Cafe is famous for its throwed rolls. It’s a place where you take home more food in the doggie container than most restaurants serve.
   It was a fun evening. I got to take photos in the bakery, the kitchen and was allowed to mingle freely throughout the large café, stopping to take photos and visit with the patrons. It was almost as if I was part of the decor.
   After wrapping up the evening taking photos, I enjoyed a chicken fried steak and all the fixings. I then headed west on Highway 60 toward Dexter in my Chevrolet S-10 pickup.
    About 5 miles outside of Dexter, I ran out of gas. When I pulled in at Lamberts, I knew my tank was nearly empty and needed gas, but forgot later that evening.
    There I was, sitting alone on the side of the highway at 10 p.m. on a Saturday night with no gas and no way to call anyone. Cell phones where not around at that time.
It wasn’t long before a couple southern Missouri fellows pulled up alongside my truck and asked if they could help me. I told them I ran out of gas and they offered to give me a ride to Dexter and get some gas.
   The car they were driving had no rear seat, no carpet and looked like it was put together from several salvage yard vehicles.
    Not sure if I was doing the right thing, I thanked the men and found a place in the front bucket seat. My heart was pounding!
     We arrived in Dexter and stopped at a convenience store. I went inside and bought a gas can and headed outside to put a few dollars’ worth of gas in the can. I got in the car and about that time, someone across the parking lot lost control of their vehicle and drove into the road ditch.
     The two men decided to help out, going as far as pulling the vehicle out of the ditch with a tow rope, which they happened to have in the trunk of their car.
    “We’ve done our good deed for the day,” the driver said as I thought about the events unfolding that evening.
      Off we went east on Highway 60 back to my truck, which thankfully was still there. They helped me put the gas in and I handed them $10 for their troubles. They even waited until I got my truck started and was ready to roll.
      To this day, I wonder if those two men were angels from above earning their wings. I don’t know, but I’m thankful for their help.
      There was another instance that happened to Debbie and I few years back while driving from Montezuma to the Lake of the Ozarks for a couple days of R&R. We left later than planned and somewhere around Eldon, Mo., we noticed a car acting strangely in front of us. Then suddenly, one showed up behind us and got real close.
      Our first thought was it was an ambush. It was after midnight, way too late to be out driving in a remote area and there was no place safe to stop. All of a sudden, a police cruiser showed up from nowhere and those two cars disappeared. An angel, maybe! We think so!
     As we celebrate Christmas soon, take time to be thankful for your life, your family, your safety! I know Debbie and I keep looking out for angels intervening along life’s way!
Merry Christmas!
     Have a great week and take care of yourself, my friends. And always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.