My previous job as a government contractor required that I travel various places, including Alaska. It was on a trip in May 2005 that I had a wonderful revelation.
The usual routine for travel to Alaska was a two week stay, which meant staying over one weekend and therefore, finding somewhere to worship on Sunday. Northern Lights church of Christ is in Fairbanks, which is roughly a two hour drive from where I was working. Since I am not crazy about making that kind of drive early in the morning, I chose to make a reservation at a hotel in Fairbanks for Saturday night and then return to base on Sunday afternoon. I did some inexpensive tourist attractions around Fairbanks during the afternoon; the day was beautiful!
On Saturday evening, the restaurant that I had chosen for dinner was not open yet for tourist season, so I decided to try another one. I was seated in a corner by the fireplace, where I had a good vantage point for people watching. (This was before I was an owner of a smartphone and could read the news while eating alone.) I enjoyed watching a large group of folks that were rather entertaining with their outbursts. I finished my meal, which was excellent, and requested a takeout box for the remainder. I then waited several minutes for my check. When the waiter came to my table, I asked for the check. He said, "It has already been paid." Stunned, I replied, "Are you sure? By whom?" I was concerned that there was some stalker-person watching me. He said, "I don't know. The cashier just told me; maybe you can ask her."
So, I walked up to the cashier and asked her about my check, confirming that it was mine that had been paid by someone else. After all, I didn't know anyone in Fairbanks. And although I visited the church there on my previous visit in March, I didn't think that anyone would recognize me two months later in a dimly lit restaurant. She said that a group of ladies had been dining together and when they left, they asked what I was having and paid for my meal.
With no way to find out their names, I proceeded to my car where I just sat behind the wheel and cried. I wondered “Why me?” Was it because I was wearing my favorite jeans with the hole in the knee? Was it because they saw the cracked windshield of my rental car? (Not unusual for Alaska, by the way.) Was it because I was eating alone? Or was it just a girls night out random act of kindness? I was touched by their generosity to a total stranger as well as the obvious lesson that was presented to me. Christ paid for all of us, even though we are, in a sense, strangers to Him. Our only way to thank Him is to tell others about what he did for us.
The only way I can thank my Alaska Angels is to tell others also, and do the same. Since that night, I look for those who may be eating alone whenever I am eating in a restaurant, get his/her ticket, and pay as we are leaving. It is a bit tricky to pull off, but the wait staff is usually cooperative. I want to encourage others to take a moment the next time you are eating at a nice sit-down restaurant, look around, and see who you can be an angel to.
