Little gifts of moments with people

I was feeling pretty inefficient this morning.  My weaknesses all seemed to be on display and I'd only been awake for 2 hours (granted - I'm not a morning person AT ALL - so that's when my weaknesses are more likely to appear).  I was running late to get my car to the shop for brakes, which meant I was also late for work, and my car was a horrendous mess since I still hadn't fully cleaned it from taking a lot of items to the thrift store and taking my dog on several adventures.  My gas light lit up on the way to the repair shop.  Of course.  Just another way for the auto shop people to learn I don't have it all together.  (Not that they really think about these things as long as my check is good).
I got it to the shop, they didn't care that it wasn't there at 7am, and I declined the free ride to work because I could walk.  There was an elderly man in the lobby that stood and said "Come on, I'll give you a ride.  You know you don't really want to cross that street."  He was right - I hate crossing that street.  He said he was on his way to the bank but had waited in case I'd needed a ride.  I agreed, and nobody in the shop stopped me, so I figured he was safe.  If not, he seemed old enough to not pose any real danger.  I could take him.  And, this is the South, where free rides were commonplace before these modern days made us all defensive and paranoid.
He started in on his story right away.  Turns out, he had started this shop (the one most known and trusted among all the locals and athletics coaches), and had left it to his son when he retired a few years ago.  This son has a 10 year old girl that is real sick and in the hospital, where the man volunteers two days a week.  Since the family is at the hospital, he's stepping in and doing what he can at the shop.  He's had 4 children and one of his daughters lives in Florida now.  But the son that runs the shop has this 10 year old daughter, and she has Down Syndrome, so she catches whatever comes along and doesn't fight it so well.    
I got all of this information while he literally just drove me across the street.  It was one of those moments where I realized it was a gift for me to be in that old blue minivan.  Like it was God showing me His love for me and all of His people, and Him putting my head back on straight after my morning of silly mess. 
This man didn't have to share any of his life to with me or talk to me at all, but I'm so glad he did.