7 - The Man from Maui -

After the calling, I experienced a series of impactful events. The first was an encounter with a homeless woman in need (see my last post). My second experience occurred at the Catholic church my mother used to take me and my sisters to when we were children. Although I don’t attend Catholic services, I like to visit this church from time to time to pray. It’s a peaceful place with an almost supernatural quiet. I even enjoy the church’s unique smell, which is hard to describe but reminds me of what holiness might smell like if it had a scent.

One day, just before I knelt down to pray, a man approached me. “Do you know where the priest is, by chance?” he asked. It struck me as an odd question. How would I know?

“Sorry, I don’t,” I replied. He thanked me and quickly left. I lit a candle, knelt in front of the statue of Mary and Jesus, and began to pray. After finishing, I went to the front of the church and dropped some money into the donation slot for burning a candle. I noticed some movement but didn’t see who it was. All I knew was that someone had left through the side exit. It’s an exit I had never used, but that day, for some reason, I decided to take it.

When I stepped outside, I saw the same man who had asked me about the priest. I smiled and asked, “Did you find the priest?” He said he hadn’t. We started talking, and he mentioned that he was only in town for a few days and was from Maui.

At that time, fires were ravaging Maui, burning nearly 5% of the island. He told me that his house had burned down and, tragically, his wife had perished in the fire. He was in California to drop off his stepson, whom he had raised since infancy, at his sister-in-law’s house because he couldn’t afford to care for him at the moment. He had just three more days in town and needed a way to feed himself. He was on the verge of tears, though he tried hard to hold them back.

I had only $10 on me, but I offered it to him. Initially confused, as he hadn’t asked for money, he eventually accepted it and thanked me. You might wonder if he was just spinning a sob story to get money, and perhaps he was, but my instincts told me otherwise. Regardless, he needed help, and I was glad to offer what little I could at the time. In hindsight, I wish I had also offered to buy him some groceries.

When I got home, I shared the experience with my daughter and cried as I recounted the story. I imagined myself in his place—losing my wife, home, and child—and was overwhelmed with sadness. I sincerely hope he managed to rebuild his life.

This encounter taught me an important lesson: you can lose everything in the blink of an eye, so cherish what God has given you. Take nothing for granted.

God Bless.