Angel in a Stranger

Yesterday night on my way home from my B&BW's job, I turned into my neighborhood and saw a little 3yr old boy wandering around on the street. I immediately stopped my car and ran to him, picked him up as he was sobbing hysterically and tried to calm him down. I asked him if he knew where his house was and he shook his head. I asked him where his Mommy or Daddy was and he just said "Mommy gone! Daddy gone!"...

I took him to the first house I came upon to see if they knew where he belonged to. I had to keep shouting at their open window since they apparently couldn't hear the doorbell until a man poked his head out and said that the kid wasn't his and he didn't know where he came from.

I stood outside holding him trying to figure out what to do. I was thinking that I would have to take him into my home and then call the police...then (thankfully!) I heard the panicked voice of a Dad screaming for his son. He was running full speed yelling this kid's name and when he saw me holding his son a look of relief spread all over his face.

The kid reached out and was crying "Daddy!"...and the Dad was thanking me profusely. I inquired as to where he lived and it was in a house around the corner. He said that he had run out of the house to talk to his neighbor and while he was gone, his 3yr old (who had apparently learned how to open the front door and walk out by himself) just walked on out looking for his Daddy.

I couldn't help think what if that had been Caleb. There are truly nice people out there but there are also truly bad people out there. I hope that if Caleb were ever to need somebody to point him back in the right direction that he would meet an angel in a stranger.

Suffice to say, Jay today is double checking that we have all our doors childproofed so that Caleb can't get out without us.

This has gotten me thinking though....in our lives, how many times are we presented with opportunities to act honorably.....how many opportunities can one be heroic and truly good....if we were presented with such a situation, would we be alert enough and aware enough to act the way we need to? Or would we be too busy in our lives to even acknowledge it? It's made me open my eyes a little wider.