I had about an hour between meetings and was sitting in a hotel executive lounge, catching up on emails. Not being the only businessperson trying to find a quiet place; four other people were in the room, scattered some distance apart.
Shortly after sending my first email, I noticed a gentleman sat down in a chair directly opposite me. After just a minute, I noticed he seemed interested in speaking with me, but he did not want to interrupt me. Glancing up, I did not recognize him, he said, “Emails are a necessary evil of every business today.” Smiling, “It definitely is.”, as I sat back, he leaned in and offered a hand of introduction. We exchanged pleasantries and oral business cards, but I soon found out that was not exactly what he was interested in talking about.
Before too long, this total stranger began telling me about personal tragedies he was dealing with. His business was falling apart (his words), his wife of twelve years died in an accident, and his young daughter was becoming more distant with each passing day.
“I am a good man. Why is Allah allowing these evils to enter my life. I am beginning to believe, there is no God.” The man was almost in tears.
I looked around the room, and wondered what he was hoping to get from me, a complete stranger. Silently, we sat looking at one another for several seconds, I did not know what to say. Then out of the blue, I said, “Have you heard the story of Job?” Not knowing why, I began telling him about Job.
For the first time, since listing his trouble, he smiled, “In the Quran, our Job is the Prophet Ayyub. The Islamic tradition holds that Ayyub was a righteous servant of God who suffered greatly but never lost faith, continuously praying to God for relief from his suffering.”
“I remember, I too have read the Quran, it is much like the Bible’s story of Job.”
Raising his hands in exaltation, “Allah does exist.” With that said, he looked at his watch, and stood to leave, I rose with him, offering my hand, he reached out and hugged me. Before he left, I had to know.
“Why did you first approach me?”
He chuckled, “I woke up this morning, and felt like I needed to speak to someone about my doubts in Allah. As the day progressed the feeling got stronger. I came in here to clear my mind, and I saw your lapel pin, and somehow, I knew that you would not think me crazy. Instead, Allah showed me the way.”
I was wearing this small white cross with a red challis on top of the stanchion of the cross. It is the cross of Holy Communion.
God does exist!
If this is my last post, I want all to know there was only one purpose for all that I have written; to have made a positive difference in the lives of others. Anthony “Tony” Boquet, the author of “The Bloodline of Wisdom, The Awakening of a Modern Solutionary”
