"Angels (Un)aware" In Reverse?

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it." Heb. 13:2.

I just got home from a very unusual & encouraging, "spiritual" experience.

Becky & Matt(the kid I'm watching most weekdays this Summer) & I just went to BJs. We walked to Mac Dade Mall from here, then caught the 122 bus from there to BJs, and did the reverse on the way back. Naturally, before we left, I changed Becky's diaper and fed her as much as she wanted. So, I thought I'd forseen and was prepared for any and every possible "unexpected" circumstance. Nope.

While @BJ's, I found the best box I could(to bring everything home in), then it became a matter of what I could fit in that box(out of what we'd already put in the cart, off our list), since that's how I'd be getting whatever I carried home home. Matt said he could manage the diapers and the bread, so that didn't have to be in the box to get it home, but we ended up putting the popcorn back on the shelf cuz we just couldn't get EVerything else we wanted to buy in "my" box.

But once we returned the popcorn, everything else was manageable. We had enough time before the 2nd bus returned to get lunch at the Pizza Hut there @BJs, before getting on the bus back to Mac Dade Mall.

Needless to say, getting on and off the bus with all our BJs stuff was a LOT more complicated than getting on and off the bus without it had been on the way there. But we managed; after 8 years of full-time "Septahood" and almost 2 years of full-time parenthood, I've worked out how most "Septa (with kids) stuff" works best.

When we got back to the Mall, we were in the process of getting off the bus when we noticed the ONE contingency I hadn't thought about or planned for(if I even could have?); Rebekah had fallen asleep on the 122 bus between BJ's & the mall! It wasn't much trouble getting her off the bus, but we were then immediately confronted with how to get her - and all our BJ's stuff - home; we'd planned on her walking back with us(on her own; without either of us carrying her), and that OBviously was NOT going to happen.

As it happens, I'd struck up a conversation with a woman on the bus on our way from BJs to the Mall. She was also getting off the bus at the Mall, so she was right behind me as I carried Becky off the bus.

She asked us how we were gonna get it all home since Becky was asleep, and I wasn't really sure. We could take the 113 bus from the Mall to our apartment, but I hadn't bought Matt a transfer on the 122, nor had I brought a 3rd token for him with me, and I didn't really want to pay $2 for his bus fare for one traffic light's distance(4-6 blocks?) on the 113.

I was about to ask the 122 driver if he'd still sell me a transfer(which are only supposed to be sold at the time of fare payment; on your way ON the bus) when the woman I'd been talking to on the bus, volunteered to carry my box of BJs stuff to our apt with/for us! This was totally unexpected and caught me completely off-guard. But, after making SURE that she REALLY didn't mind, I agreed to this.

WOW, did she EVER do me a BIG favor and come in MAJORLY handy! I'm still not 100% sure what we would have done if she hadn't made this offer, especially if the 122 driver had been unwilling to sell me a transfer for Matt.

On our way here, I asked her if she wanted a soda when we got here, but she declined. I repeated the offer when we got here, and she declined again. She said she had 4 grown kids about my age, so "I sympathize with you". I guess she felt as though she were doing it for one of them "by proxy" somehow? I don't know. I also learned on our way here that her name's Laura.

As we were nearing our apt., I casually mentioned that we go to church right across the street as I pointed to the church's sign, and she said she'd been checking out area churches and had been meaning to check "that one" out, she just hadn't gotten to it yet. I told her we've been going there for about 2 years, we really like it, and we just joined 2 weeks ago. So, when we parted company, she said "Maybe I'll see you at church sometime?" That'd be really neat!

Now, I know that the Scripture I quoted above and referenced in the title of this mentions folks showing hospitality to angels without realizing it. But SHE was definitely the "angel" in this story, even tho SHE's the one who showed the hospitality, not me/us. So, that's why I say that it seemed like "angels (un)aware" in reverse. Cuz she was DEFinitely God's way of looking out for me/us in this situation & circumstance!