I’ve taken over 700 Uber rides.
Let that sink in good for a minute.

When I booked my first ride, my son told me that I better have all my stuff ready to go and I admit that I laughed and said,” I’m sure nobody will get here that fast.”

I had to bite my tongue when my first driver showed up in TWO minutes!

I was a bit nervous- no, truthfully, I was VERY nervous- about getting in the car with a complete stranger, but as I walked down my sidewalk- limping from a knee injury and unsteady as can be- out pops this gentleman from Ethiopian with a broad smile, asking if he could take my bags and offering me his arm.

I looked at him with sheer gratitude and he opened the passenger side because I had asked if I could ride in front.

Once we got settled in, I turned to him and said, “ Thank you for letting me ride up front, I’m half deaf and I read lips- it’s impossible to lip read from the back. I’m good, but I’m not THAT good!”

He laughed and so did I and then we fell into an easy conversation and he asked what happened to me.

“ This is a central nervous system injury from my battle with Covid in 2021. I’m still healing.”

Then, he placed his hand over mine and began praying for me as we drove to my studio. I felt tears well up in my eyes and tickle down my checks but i didn’t let go of his hand.

When we got to my place, he got out first, ran over and opened my door and grabbed my bags and then took my hand, tucked it into his elbow and walked me down the stone pathway, up the stairs and to the door and then, as I told him that I could make it the rest of the way, he said, “ You’re going to be completely healed- God will heal you, I know He will.”

I hugged him and thanked him and watched him get back into his car and leave.

He left me with several things- he left by setting the bar for which I have measured every driver since, he left me with confidence that God will protect me by placing me with good people, he left me with an open mind that I could be safe and comfortable riding with a strange guy, he left me feeling blessed and respected and cared for, and he left me anticipating my next adventure of riding with strangers.

Now, don’t get me wrong- I would much rather be driving myself places because then I’ll stop by a coffee shop and pick up a treat to give a client that’s coming in on their birthday, i would swing by my daughter’s house just to love on my bundles, i would run over to TJ Maxx to get chocolate covered blueberries and find something I don’t really need, i would be at the gym every single day and out finding treasures at thrift stores and at garage sales…

I miss those things like crazy.

I miss popping over to the Historic Downtown Rockwall Square to grab lunch or see what the stores have.

I really miss going to every single show at San Jacinto Plaza Music Series and sitting up chairs to gather around and listen to music.

I even miss grocery shopping all by myself.

But here’s the deal, I’m not willing to live with the risk of driving when I know good and well that my vision isn’t what it needs to be. I’m not willing to put others in danger because I THINK I can see good enough to get by.

So I ride with strangers that sometimes become prayer warriors. I get in cars with people from all over the world that somehow end up picking me up in Rockwall county.

I get to listen to Spanish music while the driver sings in English for me, I get to laugh with old men that drive while “ the ladies” do lunch and shop, I get to talk to single moms that drive on weekends the ex has the kids so they can afford the baseball cleats they grow out of before the season ends, I get to shoot the bull with old cowboys, with retired teachers, with young father’s working as much as they can so their wife can stay home with their toddler.

I open the door and I catch glimpses of each person’s soul. I open the door and get into the car next to someone that has been created by God- fearfully and wonderfully- and that blows my mind, every single time.

You see, even though I’ve ridden with several people multiple times, I only get to see bits and pieces of them during my 7.5 mile rides, but I look at them through the eyes of our Creator and I think to myself, “ Dang, look at this work of art He made, look at what they are made of and made for… just look at what God has done!”

Sometimes I think a little differently, like “ Look what they are doing with what God gave them,” and that, too, blows my mind.

The young man that drives Uber while building his coaching business, the woman that drives Uber in between clients as a hair stylist, the Veteran that moved his prosthetic leg to the back so I could sit by him and laughed when I told him that I would hold his leg for him, the autistic gentleman that asked me if he could buckle my seat belt, just to be sure I was safe.

I believe that when we expect good things, we almost always get good things….. and I’m writing this while planning to book an Uber ride within the next 30 minutes.

I don’t know who I’ll get the pleasure of riding with this time, but I sure do plan to ride up front, to gaze over and make eye contact and say,” Thank you for picking me up!”

Uberride #writingmyheartout #jeannasoul