I. Was. There.

As some of you saw on my FaceBook post, I was involved in a bank robbery this past Friday. “Good Friday.” No joke. I was “in” the bank when the whole ordeal went down.

Here’s the story: I went into the bank to meet with our banker, Heather. As I waited on Heather to assist me, she was helping an elderly lady out of the lobby, as the lady was using a walker. More on this lady in a bit.

While waiting on Heather, I did notice that the other personal banker had a client in his office. Tito, the personal banker, had apparently asked for the branch manager to assist him and his client with whatever issue/need that “client” had. Heather takes me into her office. She begins to help me with my issue and while doing so, I can hear mostly what’s going on next door with the other “client”. Appears to be something that is difficult. Back to me: Heather needs help and tells me she’s going to go and grab her manager for assistance. She walks out of her office and proceeds to-loudly- announce: “we’ve been robbed, call 911”! It takes a moment for my brain to process this, then I say to myself, “robbed”? Yes, robbed! I walk out of her office and its chaos. Another bank employee is now manning the front door. The teller who was robbed is on the phone with 911. Witching seconds the Upper Arlington police are on the scene. I’m thinking, “I didn’t “see” the robbery take place. I’ll just leave, they don’t NEED me. Not so fast! The 1st office in the building promptly stops me. Questions, and more questions. Who are you? DO you have I.D. On you? Why are YOU here? WHAT were you doing here? May I see you’re I.D.? After a few moments, he’s satisfied and I’m escorted out of the building. Shook. Get in my car and call Joyce.

Back to that little old lady with the walker. Funny, but I can describe her to a “T”. She was odd. Especially in her dress, the clothes she was wearing. Oh, and she had no eyebrows. She had taken a red makeup pencil or pen and painted red-fire engine red!-eyebrows on her face. You can’t make this stuff up. I just wonder, now that I’m a couple of days removed, if she was involved. other than myself and the robber, she was the only other customer in the bank. She was having lots of issues of her own, dropping things, fumbling with her bag, etc. Was it all to create a distraction? Have I watched too many crime shows? Who knows!

Anyhow, I do think things happen for a reason. Why was I put in this situation? Well, I do believe that we can make lemonade out of lemons. Heather and Tito were quite shaken. Very understandable. I WANT to go back and see them. I WANT to make sure they are ok. I WANT to let them know just how sorry I am and that I care. As a man of faith, perhaps, just perhaps, this is an opportunity God is giving me to show his love. I hope so. I’ll be going back to the bank tomorrow morning. So, say a prayer for me that God uses me in this situation…and say one for Heather and Tito as well. ❤️

Be well,

Jeff