Angelic Encounters

My family lived in So. Fulton, a small town in northwestern Tennessee, which was known for being the banana capital of the south because of the fact that more bananas were shipped   through this area than anywhere in the nation.  The freight trains, which transported the bananas, often passed by our house and I could hear the sound of the blowing of the engine’s whistle from afar off.  These trains would often be carrying more than bananas, with an occasional hobo hitching a ride on one of the box cars.  I  remember as a young child hearing a knock at the door and seeing my mother invite an old stranger into our home.  She would see that they had food and water before they went on their way.  Questioning why she did this, one day I asked her why she let someone we didn’t know into our house and she answered me by quoting Hebrews 13:2. “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”  My mother’s concern for these perfect strangers set a good example for my life and inspired me to treat all classes of people with dignity, kindness and respect.  Little did I know that down through the years angels would play a very important part in my journey through life.