Thank God for a Grateful Gentleman

Last Saturday morning I was taking my daily walk through the neighborhood when I encountered a man walking toward me. As we met, he smiled and said, “Good morning,” and I replied, “Hello, how are you?” He responded, “Very good, thank you.” Had he stopped there it would have been a typical exchange of glancing pleasantries. But, he quickly added two words.

“Thank God.”

I smiled and instantaneously felt the warmth of his sincerity. “Amen” I thought to myself, too late to offer that as an acknowledgment of his simple expression of gratitude.

I believe this gentleman is Jewish. I’ve seen him in our neighborhood on other occasions walking around a home that has a lighted menorah in the front window every Friday evening. I often see him walking to and from that home on Saturday, the Jewish Shabbat. If you’ll pardon the reliance on a stereotypical description, he has a full beard and is always wearing a fedora. He looks Jewish. When he spoke I was reminded of certain vocal qualities that I heard many times in the homes of my Jewish friends growing up in Phoenix, where I attended a high school known as “Little Israel”. I became very fond of the mannerisms that I detected again last Saturday.

I was impressed that this man was not just able to immediately connect his sense of well being to his God but was also willing to express it to a complete stranger. I was even more impressed that the spontaneity and naturalness of his two-word addendum allowed me to enjoy it and be uplifted by it without feeling the slightest twinge of intrusion.

I would be better off if I followed this man’s example more often. I suspect that he may be more in touch with the grace that surrounds us every day than I am. I suspect that he may be more consistently grateful for that grace than I am.

It was a pleasant encounter on a beautiful morning – and I thank God for it. I hope to pass his way again tomorrow.