Value Restored

I sat stranded in my apartment building entryway. My driver promised he would be there at 8:15 and it was now 8:40. I couldn’t understand it. He was always so dependable. I began to worry that something had gone wrong. I reached for my cell phone and made a quick call. The phone rang and rang, but then it went to voicemail. I went on to plan B and sent a text message. I sent the following: “This is your reminder to please come get me.”
And then I waited. After what seemed like an eternity later, I got a return text filled with apology and the reason for why he was not coming. It was then that I realized that if I wanted to get to work that morning, I had two choices: I could walk on slippery roads with the cruel, March wind in my face or I could call someone else.
I reached out to our secretary, and she was soon on her way to my place. Needless to say, I made it to work but there had been a lot of waiting around for someone who didn’t show up. Certainly, I was frustrated, but there was nothing I could do about it. An apology had been made, and I had forgiven him. I was ready to move on.
But the issue rose back to the surface just a few hours later. I was at Bible Study and we were talking about our value and the value we see in others. We each took turns talking about how we perceived value. When my turn came, I talked about dependability. I made it clear that at the time and place when someone doesn’t come through for me, a sense of value for that person is reduced. I can still see them as a friend, co-worker, etc., but I think twice before I consider them a dependable transportation provider.
It was then that I asked the ladies to pray for me. I needed to book a medical appointment, and it seemed that no one wanted to drive toward the Twin Cities. To make matters worse, my appointment would probably be scheduled during business hours, and those few friends who were confident city drivers would most likely be working. I asked that the ladies would pray for a driver to come through for me.
Just like that, one of the ladies spoke up. She said if I could book the appointment on a Monday, she and a friend could take care of the transportation. I was so elated and relieved that I’m sure I could have hugged her. In that instant, I almost forgot about the events of the morning and how I had been forgotten.
I paused to consider the ratio between the times I had been forgotten and the blessing of dependable transportation, and I had to admit that one aspect far outweighed the other. Although it was often difficult to find rides, I had had more success in that area compared to the few times I had been left behind. I had to remind myself that there was still great value in the friends I could count on to come through for me. I couldn’t let one failed trip to the office be the basis for my judgment. In fact, I had been blessed, and the blessings just kept coming.
These blessings amount to some pretty awesome opportunities either just past or just over the horizon. I have been given the opportunity to attend several events thanks to the help of generous friends: a social outing with disability advocates and peer mentors, a concert, a speaking engagement where I will get to hear Joni Eareckson Tada, a leadership conference, and of course, that medical appointment. As they say, my faith in humanity has been restored; the value of my transportation providers has also been restored… and maybe even increased.
In the end, I can’t place value on someone just because they are dependable. There is no law that says my family, friends, and co-workers have to drive me anywhere. I am simply blessed by their generosity and the fact that most of the time, they just want to help. And in the times when they don’t come through for me, I have to remind myself that my schedule is not more important than the value of that person. I need to offer grace when I am forgotten in the midst of a busy day. It isn’t the end of the world. And if it helps at all, an apology text and voicemail let me know that I am still important even though the same person forgot me hours earlier. People are human, and people have value.
So as I close, I would just like to say thank you to my “valued” friends and transportation providers who step up and make life a bit easier for this blind girl. You know who you are and how much I value your generosity and friendship.