God Moments

I had a God Moment today.

My neighbor, Theresa, came over while I was out raking leaves to see how things were going with the sale of Dad's house. Things are not going well. I have had so much anxiety with these buyers and the closing and dividing things up that I have been unable to sleep. I can't remember people's names. I can't sleep. I worry, worry, worry. While I was sharing that with Theresa, one of our new neighbors was out for a walk. We waved, and he continued on.

I went back to raking leaves, and the neighbor, Jameel, was on his way back down the street. I spoke to him, and he walked over. Jameel is an elderly man from Pakistan. He is visiting his son and daughter-in-law, who live in Louisville. They are Muslim.

I asked if they enjoyed Halloween. He said they had candy to give out to the children and that they had a similar celebration in his village in Pakistan when people get married. Then he asked me why I put a graveyard on my lawn and what RIP meant. I struggled as to how to explain just why we decorated the way we did. The best explanation I could come up with was that it was our way of mocking death. To say something like, "We are not afraid of you..." type of thing. I was hoping I wasn't sounding like a crazy, sacrilegious American.

Jameel said that in his religion, they are not afraid of death. He said that he believes that his body is made of water, clay, and spirit. The water and clay come from the earth and will return to the earth when he dies. The spirit comes from God and will return to God when he dies. "We use the earth to nourish our bodies, and we worship God to nourish our spirits."

I remarked that our faiths were much the same because I believe the same things. We talked about his belief in the Bible and that Jesus was a prophet, and in Mohammad.

I told him that I enjoyed talking to him and that I thought the world would be a better place if people of different faiths and cultures would talk to one another and learn from each other. I said, "We'd see that we all want the same things...Peace, happy families, healthy children..."

He said, "Do you know how to have peace?" He looked me in the eyes, and I felt right then that I was talking to a holy person. His essence exuded a type of wisdom and calm that I have rarely seen. All I could think was, 'This is a very holy man."

He smiled, "To have peace, you cannot worry. Why do we need to worry? God will provide." He went on to tell me that he had had 3 cars stolen from him in Pakistan. He said, "Did I worry about it? No! I believed that God had a plan for me. I looked down and said to myself, 'I have two legs. I can walk.' So I did. Do you know that I got all 3 cars back?"

I remarked that he must be a man of great faith. He looked at me again and said,

"I think to myself, God was providing for me before I was even conceived. In my mother's womb, He made a place for me with blood, and after I was conceived, it nourished me as I grew. When I was born, He had made that my mother would nourish me with her milk. Did she do that? No! It was God's plan! If God has taken that much time to provide for me before I was even born, how much more will he provide for me now that I am a man? My friends say, 'Jameel, why are you so happy? Why are you always smiling?' I say to them, 'What do I have to worry about? God will provide.'"

I asked that he stop by when he's walking if he ever sees me out. He said he is going back to Pakistan next week. I asked him to stop by whenever he is in Kentucky. He replied he'd be back next summer, "God willing." Then he said, "I have taken too much of your time tonight. I should let you get on with your work."

I looked at him and said, "I believe God sends people into our lives to tell us things we need to hear. I needed to hear what you said today. Thank you!"

He replied, "You are welcome. Peace be upon you."

"And peace to you," I answered.

He turned to continue his walk home, and I resumed raking my leaves with tears running down my cheeks. I knew that I had just received a message from God via an elderly Muslim neighbor from Pakistan. God sure works in weird and wonderful ways.

Peace.