Aubrey bought a fleece-lined coat for her aging father, but he died before he could wear it. So she tucked a note of encouragement with a $20 bill into the pocket and donated the jacket to charity.
Ninety miles away, unable to endure his family’s dysfunction any longer, nineteen-year-old Kelly left his house without grabbing a coat. He knew of only one place to turn—the home of his grandmother who loved him dearly. Hours later he stepped off a bus and into his grandma’s arms. Shielding him from the winter wind, she said, “We’ve got to get you a coat!” At the mission store, Kelly tried on a coat he liked. Slipping his hands into the pockets he found an envelope—with a $20 bill and Aubrey’s note.
In this week’s Torah portion, Vayetzei, Jacob flees for his life at his mother’s urging because his brother Esau swore to kill him because he stole his blessing from their father. When he stopped for the night, God revealed Himself to Jacob in a dream. God told him: “Your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you and your descendants. Remember, I am with you: I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:14-15)
“Jacob
awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely God is present in this place, and I did
not know it!” (Verse 16) Jacob built an altar and named the spot “Bet
El-God’s house” (verse 22). Kelly takes Aubrey’s note and that $20 wherever he
goes. Each serves as a reminder that we are never alone no matter what
challenges we face. Wherever we run, God is there.
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