Just Ordinary People

(a surprise “Rest of the Story” to blog post “Earth Angels and the Jaws of Life”)

On August 23, 2023, my husband, Scott, and I heard horrific sounds. We ran toward the sound and ended up aiding the of victims of a three-car crash that happened at the entrance of our neighborhood. We both assisted in any way we could think of until the emergency units arrived. I opened the passenger door reaching the lady who suffered most from the impact and crawled in to calm her, hold her hand, speak to, and pray over her. I also called her family members.

Sadly, three days later, she died from internal injuries. I kept up with her sister but due to relational issues in the family, there still has not been a memorial service and we lost contact. My mom and my sister, who also live in the neighborhood, and our neighbors are still saddened over this accident and have lots of unanswered questions. Every time I pass the spot, I ask God to comfort the families involved.

To help me work through my feelings and lessons learned in this incident, I wrote a post for this blog called “Earth Angels and The Jaws of Life.” 

Flash forward to February 5, 2024. My sister, Cindy, a Kindergarten assistant, made an uncommon weekday visit by showing up at my house directly after school. She said that something amazing happened there and that I needed to hear it. To give a little background, both Cindy and I are experiencing transitions in our lives. Cindy, who became a single mom when her son and daughter were young teens, now both busy, and young successful professionals, is feeling the effects of them being 100% officially on their own and especially after her daughter’s wedding last Fall. Cindy will also retire in May. For me, my one and only child, our son Jackson, born to me in midlife, graduated from High School in 2023 and I have been working through the empty nest feelings and my new normal—which includes seeking new goals as a 63-year-old woman.

Even Something Small

I brewed us a cup of tea and as we sat at the kitchen table, my quiet, meticulous, and very creative sister Cindy shared her story. She said that she had just expressed to God in her prayer time that morning, that she was really feeling alone, and not sure  what value she brought to anyone in her life anymore. Oh, how the enemy loves to torture believers and especially seniors with those lies! But this day, she was reminded of how God uses ordinary people who are doing ordinary things, to show that even something small can become much to someone else.

Her friend Charles, whom she thought had retired, showed up to be the substitute for the Lunchroom Monitor.Everyone, and especially the children, love Charles. His role as the “best Lunchroom Monitor ever” took him to schools all over the county and because of a shortage of good help, he had recently been called back into service. Cindy enjoyed catching up with him and during conversation, sadly found out that his daughter had died from injuries in a car wreck while he was on a cruise with his wife— which made it impossible to reach him, as a result he couldn’t make it make it home right away. The family was confident that she would live, but complications from the surgery took her life. Now, months later, he still did not have closure about many of the details and was heartbroken. Cindy listened and sympathized and then had to head back to her classroom.

At lunch, she told her co-workers about how happy she was to see Charles but so sad about the news of his daughter. Her co-worker mentioned that while she was not certain, she believed that the accident might have happened right near Cindy’s neighborhood. Cindy’s heart started pounding. She and her co-worker started putting together the story including looking up my blog on this site and my Facebook post asking friends to pray for a lady named Charletta. Cindy hurried to the cafeteria to ask him if his daughter’s name was Charletta and he said, “Yes. Why do you ask?”  That moment began a wonderful, yet painful conversation, providing long-awaited details on what happened to his daughter and bringing relief and closure to many questions for this deeply hurt dad. Cindy was able to let him know that her sister, me, stayed with Charletta until help came.

Earth Angel

Cindy and I both began to weep! How amazing that after being “retired,” Charles showed up at Cindy’s school. What are the odds that in a city of 1,200,000 people that ordinary people could orchestrate this moment? In short, we cannot. But because she took those few moments to visit and catch up with him and her ability to be a good listener, pay attention to and put details in place, Cindy became Charles’ earth angel that day. My husband and I were able to call Charles that night and talk to him about that fateful day, share photos and videos, and let him know that Charletta did not have outward injuries and that we stayed with her until she was taken to the hospital.

Charles holds a deep Christian faith but told us that by filling in the gaps of the story, that after all these months, he would finally be able to sleep better. It was a joy and privilege to be able to visit the school the next week to give this precious man a hug and more closure.

Being and Doing the Ordinary

Your life, Charles’ life, Charletta’s life, and my and Cindy’s lives really are everything to our creator and especially when we allow Him to be the center of our lives. Cindy and I were again reminded how simply loving your neighbor as yourself, being available, following that still small voice in your heart when nudged from the inside out, validates each of our incredible value to others when you least expect it or know it. Cindy and I both realized that even when those lies come up that make us feel like we do not matter, stories like Charles’ remind us that life is all about being and doing the ordinary and that you never know when God will make it become extraordinary to someone else. The beautiful song written and performed by Danniebelle Hall says it best…

CHORUS
“Just ordinary people-
God uses ordinary people.
He chooses people just like me and you who are willing to do what He commands.
God uses people that will give Him all,
No matter how small your all may seem to you,
Because little becomes much as you place it in the Master’s hand.”
VERSE
Just like that little lad who gave Jesus all he had.
How the multitude was fed with the fish and the loaves of bread.
What you have may not seem much but when you yield it to the touch of the Master’s loving hand, then you’ll understand- how your life could never be the same… Just Ordinary People…”

Danniebelle Hall

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Debbie was honored to serve as Ms. Senior America 2023. She holds a degree in Vocal Performance and has performed across the continental U.S. and abroad. She’s also a talent and interview coach for Miss America Scholarship Organization contestants, high school and college bound performing arts students, and conservative political candidates. Debbie is married to Scott Robbins. They have one son, Jackson, born when Debbie was 44. He is now a Freshman at the University of Louisville.