Apparently your sermon last year, coupled with the writing I'm currently doing, has really made a lasting impression on me. So, last week I had to drop my car off at the dealership to have some work done. They arranged for an Uber to transport me to and from home while the car was in the shop. On the ride home I was picked up by a 30-something young lady, Stefani. We had a nice conversation on the drive home. She told me a little about her family and herself. And I told her about my work in genealogy. She dropped out of college before completing her degree and her real passion was writing. The thing is, she had just gotten laid off from her sales job and was doing Uber to make ends meet and it was her first week as an Uber driver. I found myself encouraging her to focus on pursuing her passion and completing her degree. I don't know if I'll hear back from her, but she asked for my card.
Then, on the drive back to the dealership a couple of days later, I was picked up by a man, Rex, who was originally a refugee from the Congo some 15 years ago. I persuaded him to tell me his story of escaping the conflict; making his way to Mozambique, then Malawi, and finally to South Africa, all the while trying to get a refugee visa to the US. After a few years of attempting to get approval the word finally came for him and a friend to come. He and his friend would be able to come to Vermont and New Hampshire respectively. They objected saying that, NO... they wanted to come to the US. The agents at the consulate had to explain to them that they WERE coming to America. Once here, he traveled to several states until finally settling here in Nashville. He opened his own import business and was successful until the pandemic forced him to close it. He has a daughter that lives with his ex. They alternate custody of her annually as the mother is in South Dakota with family. He has since remarried. Once again I found myself speaking words of encouragement to him and suggested a business networking group he might consider attending that might be of some help. His current wife makes African clothes to sell and I even suggested they look at Etsy to market them.
Rabbi, the point I'm making is this. I have come to realize that glimmers are not just those small moments we experience in life that bring us joy, and peace. and gratitude. More importantly, we become glimmers to others by our intentional acts of kindness. I now believe this is the more important lesson to be gleaned from your sermon. One I am fortunate to have heard and internalized.
-Roy Hiller
