Different style of War Story. Good feelings! (Read 824 times)

On our drive to Crater Lake from Bend, on that morning (July 3rd) we passed a man that had been walking with a big duffle bag. He was being detained and checked out by an Oregon State Trooper on the east bound lane's road shoulder. I felt bad for the guy walking out in the wideopen highway of Oregon in the hot weather.

We continued on our drive to Crater Lake National Park. We were on route 138 about ten miles from the turn off to the Park.

During our 4 hour visit in the park and the constant hassle of the mosquietos I though about that poor guy walking the highway and being stopped by the trooper. I just didn't know why.

After we left the park and headed back the way we came we observed that same guy walking about 4 miles from where he had been stopped by the trooper. He was now on the westbound side of highway 138 walking eastbound still carring that big duffle bag.

I thought to myself, "He will never get a ride on the opposite side of the road." Then something strong came over me and I had this feeling to stop and pick him up. I said to my wife we need to give him a lift and she said, sure she felt the same.

We had passed him by as we were traveling 60 MPH so I hit the brakes as there wasn't another vehicle insight. I looked back at him as he waved at us and started to hurry toward us. He seemed to almost fall from that heavy pack and fatigue. I put the truck in reverse and backed up to get him.

When we got to him I asked where he was headed and he said Texas. I said we're not going that far. He said any town up the highway would be good. I told him we were going toward Bend but taking the cutoff highway #58 to go to Bachelor Mountain but there was a town just before the intersection of highway 58. He said that would be great. The back seat of the truck was full so I told him to jump in the back, which he did with a smile and a thank-you..

About an hour later we hit the town and pulled into a gas station. I got out of the truck and asked the guy if he had anything to drink and he said no. I opend our ice chest and gave him a cold bottle of water and cran-rasberry juice. He thanked us and I asked him about the trooper.

He said the trooper said he could not hitch-hike on that highway and had to walk in the opposite lane facing traffic. He said nobody picks him up and just two people on bicycles gave him bug repellent as the mosquietos were awful. I then asked him if he had money for food. He said yes and he had lots of food stamps.

He drank the water and put the juice in his pack.
He asked if I was a veteran and I said yes retired Air Force and my wife was an Army Nurse. I replied that he thought so from the decals in my back window. He said he was an Army veteran from the Korean War.

I wished him well getting to Texas and said, "May God Bless You." He replied, "He does everyday" We shook hands and he headed for the grocery store across the highway with that duffly bag on his back. His respones of "He does everyday" really caught me by surprise and shook me up.

With everything we did on our trip, that gave me the most joy and I believe God had his hand in it.

We got a late start for Crater Lake, then we decide to leave Crater Lake earlier than planned. This allowed us to see that old guy during our traveling to and from the National Park.

My heart tells me God had his hand in it all. Somethings you just know - you have that feeling.