Out the Train Window

I saw something yesterday that surprised me, but it probably should not have.

I was coming back from New York City on the train. At one station stop my window seat was even to an older woman who was down on her knees on the train platform bending over what looked like a coffee cup.

Her purse was in front of her and a cane was leaning up against a wall. She had on a long white quilted coat. She did not look indigent.

It was cold last night. A lighted temperature sign the train passed a few minutes earlier gave a reading of 12-degrees.

The train stop was the first on an express run so many people got off the train and walked pass this woman. My guess is that about forty people walked by. Maybe five or six looked down at her, but that was it. They all kept on walking. No one stopped to help. No one stopped to see if she needed medical attention. No one.

The train pulled away and all I could do was to offer a prayer for her well-being.

I don’t know why I was chosen to witness this, but I do know it will affect me for some time as I keep wondering about the woman on her knees and so many who ignored her.

I read once that sometimes angels manifest as humans in difficult situations in order to give us mortals an opportunity to be of service. I hope this was one of those times.