“I have friends in high places” was a saying among my siblings and friends during our teenage to young adult lives. We used to say it to one another when asked how we amazingly got certain things done. To us, the saying did not mean the obvious reference to influential or folks considered very important personalities (VIPs). Far from it. It could be something as small as getting home faster or earlier than the rest when we all were together at the same event and one was bored and wanted to leave before everyone else. It could also be solving a class- or homework project that everyone else found difficult.

Having friends in life is essential whether they are in high or low places. Never discount anyone because you just never know.

I believe that everyone is influential, as well as important, in their own way and can use their gifts, skills, talents, or resources in a way to help another when they choose to or the occasion necessitates it.

Nana’s Wisdom

My Grandma first shared the wisdom with me. She had watched me attending a series of back-to-back friends’ weddings. I was far from ready to marry at the time as I used to wonder “why the rush when you’ll be married for the rest of your life!” Here’s our conversation which I still distinctly remember:

• Grandma: “I want you to know that when it’s your turn be prepared that not all whose you’ve attended will show up.
• I was shocked that she said that and asked her why: “Nana, why are you saying this?”
• Grandma replied: “It’s just the way life is. Most times those we expect to do things for us tend to disappoint and those we least expect to are the ones who do.”

I can confirm Nana’s wisdom from my experiences that those who stepped up to help me when I needed the help most were not the obvious ones nor closest ones to me. My Grandma’s wisdom has saved me from numerous ranting and bickering over disappointments. Over the years, I have learned to trust God. He uses anyone and any thing.

Who would have thought?

I also recently heard a preacher share his experience of getting help from the least-expected person. He expressed how he had a car trouble exiting off the freeway into a busy street. He stated that it was during lunch time; expressing the time and visualization of the busyness. He got out and started pushing his car to get it to the side of the street to wait for his roadside assistance. He expressed that the only person who stopped to help him was a homeless man. He knew because he asked to be dropped “home” which was under a bridge about a mile or so away. He offered him help, but the homeless man refused.

The beauty of the homeless man showing up was that, according to the preacher, he looked around for a clip; don’t remember if it was a paper or industrial clip. Asked the preacher to pop up his trunk, used the clip to “tweak” something. The preacher started the car again, and bingo, the car started. He drove round the block with the homeless man (at the homeless man’s request) and the car was good to go!

His story

The homeless man had lost his wife and two children in one of the natural disasters while he was at work. It devastated him, understandably, and he decided to relocate to California. He is a mechanical engineer and works (or used to work) for Mercedes Benz (don’t remember if he still does).

Luck or Coincidence?

Unbelievers might allude to the preacher and the homeless man’s incident as luck or sheer coincidence. But, mathematicians and statisticians will tell you that the probability of that being a coincidence is negative or zero. You have to think in terms of the car model, color, the preacher’s attributes, the number of highways in California then narrow it down to the specific location, and the attributes of the particular homeless man, etc. You get it?! Well, this is not a math or statistics post [smile], but to support my point that it was not a coincidence. I call it divine; orchestration, intervention, or connection.

Anyways, you just never know who will show up with the help you need.

It is advisable to have a good and diverse social network.

To be continued. Look out for Part II.