Things Happen For A Reason

So this morning I get up early...really early (4:15am), so that I can get to work especially early. On the way to work I stop at a gas station to fill up the tank. As I pull on the door handle to get back into the car I realize the door is locked with my keys and everything in it. (The car isn't supposed to do that. It has a sensor where if the keys are close by, the doors don't lock) I explain to the cashier at the gas station if I can use her phone because I have locked the keys and my belongings in the car. The mean lady says "no" and doesn't seem to care. So I'm standing outside at 5:20 in the morning in the rain, hair and clothes getting wet, about to cry...then I notice the mechanic shop next door. John the mechanic, a sweet old Lebanese man who decided to also work early, let's me use his phone, offers me coffee, good company, and a warm place to wait while the tow truck is on its way. In that time I find out that John's wife passed away this time last year from Alzheimer's, and as he's sharing stories with me about his wife, he begins to cry. It's been a rough year for him....I begin to cry. We spend 20 minutes sharing family stories and I listen to his cherished memories of his wife. I'm glad my keys got locked in the car because today John just needed a friend and a hug.