Interesting a friend gave me a book many years ago and wrote in the forward, “When you are ready to receive the information in this book, it will come to you.” He was correct because during a move many years after the book had been given to me, I opened it and what was in there was content I needed then.
“When you are ready to receive the information in this book, it will come to you.”
Here is what I wrote about three years ago and it sat until I rediscovered it today:
“I went to my neighborhood Ralph’s Grocery store where I have shopped for 11 years several times a week. Today there was a gentleman greeting each person at the door with a warm smile that lit up his face. He said Good Morning and welcome to Ralphs. People were taking a back and stopped to respond. I went over to him and thanked him. He took out his name badge and said “I suppose I should put this on. My name is Michael“. I asked him where had he been? I had never seen him before and I knew most of the people that work there. He said preparing himself for this day. I told him that he had just blessed me. Michael’s reply was “great then my preparation paid off.”
I thought to myself he must be a present-day Angel Michael.
What have you done to prepare yourself for the excellence you bring to the day?
Finding this today, I became curious about how Michael is handling COVID and all of the uncertainty of what is going on now.
I have not seen Michael in over a year.
I called Ralphs to ask how I could find Michael.
Who should answer the phone with the most upbeat greeting was Michael saying “Good Afternoon on this beautiful day, how can I help you? This is Michael speaking”.
I said Michael I was calling to find out how I could get in touch with you. I wanted to ask you how are you handling the complexity and uncertainty of what’s going on in the world now and what is keeping you going?
He replied God and I was not quite certain that I heard him and so I asked him to repeat what he said. He said Yes, I said God in all uppercase letters, GOD.
He replied God. That is the answer.
He went on to say that he is part of a minyan which is a group of 10 men who pray together three times a day morning, afternoon, and evening. They pray the Amidah which has 18 blessings to help through turbulent times. He shared sometimes he joins them on Zoom and sometimes he goes to his temple where the Rabbi will only let in 10 at a time, you pray and leave and the next 10 are admitted.
Michael said he knows that God is always listening. He said your call is a perfect example. You said you called to find out how to reach me and I answered. You can say God heard you and answered you by having me answer the phone when you called.
By the way, Michael works in the deli section at Ralphs. He was kind and patient explaining Minyan and Amidah to me. Because Michael gives such thorough attention to each person shopping that no one is ever in a hurry so they can have their Michael time.
Michael concluded our conversation by saying Shavua Tov. I asked what does that mean and he said “Have a blessed week.” I said in reply Shavua Tov.
Have a blessed week.
This week with MLK birthday celebrations, Inauguration providing new hopes and dreams, there is also Michael letting his light shine at Ralphs, in his Minyan, and wherever he goes. Think about what you can do to prepare yourself for the excellence you bring to each day.
In the meantime, take Michael’s light, his warmth, his humanity to have a great week. Shavua Tov
