Messages From Angels - Don't Hang Up: Leaving a Message at the Cell Phone Store (continued)

Messages from Angels

I followed the employee to the corner of the store where she rummaged in a drawer. She had found a charger that matched my phone. 

“I’d like to test it,” I said, “to make sure the problem is with the charger.”


She looked around her to make sure no was watching.  As if handling contraband she fumbled to get the charger out of the box, then cupped it in her hand and held it close to her midsection.  She looked for an outlet to test the phone and assembled the charger for testing.  As I stood next to her, I both heard and saw words form in my mind. The spirits were talking to me. The message for this young woman: “Go back to school!”

I could see that the employee and I had been placed in a situation that would allow us to connect and discuss the message.  Now came the tricky part.  I needed to introduce myself to this woman, a stranger to me.  I needed to tell her that I had a message for her and get her to listen.  This part always makes me a little nervous because it flies in the face of social convention.  In some circles it is considered rude or eccentric to, one, initiate personal conversations with strangers – our hidden suffering is an intimate subject - and two, announce that Angels are talking to me, both of which I was getting ready to do with this young woman! 

At yet, the way the messages play out confirm for me that I am in the company of Angels.  This confirmation helps me overcome any shyness.  In each case, the timing is perfect.  In each case, the messages are directly relevant to a challenge or issue in the person’s life.  This has been true even in situations, as with this young woman, where I have no prior knowledge about the person.  In each case, the messagee, though a stranger to me, has been receptive, positive and even grateful.  In fact, I have found that in a society, like ours, where we are increasingly separate from one another, the act of talking deeply with others is a form of nourishment. 

The young woman and I leaned over the phone, now plugged into an outlet, and watched the little blue bars turn from white to blue to white as the battery charged.  Now it was time to pay for my new charger. The young woman told me that if I was going to pay we would have to be discreet so as not to upset the other customers. “I just don’t want to get in trouble with them,” she said repeatedly. Desperate to avoid any more confrontations with angry customers she suggested: “Are you sure you don’t want to just let the phone charge until your waiting time is up and then come back for your phone?” 

I changed the subject. “I’m sorry. I have to say something. I don’t know you and this is going to sound strange but a few years back I had a spiritual awakening and now I sometimes get messages for people. I have one for you. Are you interested in hearing it?” 

I had gotten her attention. She turned and faced me. “Yes,” she replied in the same steady voice. 

“Have you ever considered going back to school?” 

It took her a moment to answer.  She cast her eyes to the ground and said shyly, “I’ve thought about it a lot.”

I did not let her say much else. Although I wanted to hear her response I felt the need to hurry. “Well, they are saying that it would help you if you went back to school.  You are smart and you have something creative that you can do to help people. It’s important. It may seem too expensive but it’s safe to make the investment.” The emotion in this issue was strong and I felt its urgency. My voice began to crack. Tears welled up in my eyes.  

(for more of the story, see next post)