Angel in Aisle 3 ─ The True Story of a Mysterious Vagrant, a Convicted Bank Executive, and the Unlikely Friendship That Saved Both Their Lives

In the tradition of An Invisible Thread and Same Kind of Different as Me,Angel in Aisle 3 is the heartwarming true story of an unlikely friendship that began with a chance meeting in a grocery store between a bank executive bound for prison and an elderly stranger.

When Kevin West resigned from his job as vice president of a bank in 1998 after making fraudulent loans, he spent the time before his trial managing a family-owned, small grocery store in Ironton, Ohio. Dealing with serious marriage problems and with a prison sentence almost certainly in his future, Kevin was overcome with remorse and without a scrap of hope. It was at his lowest moment that Kevin called out to a power beyond himself for help, and God answered his prayer in the form of an elderly vagrant in a soiled shirt and tattered pants named Don.

When Don saw Kevin’s open Bible on the counter next to the register, the untidy, long-haired indigent took the opportunity to share Bible wisdom and life-giving truths that changed Kevin’s life. Finding a sense of peace in their conversation, Kevin offered Don a few basic groceries and an invitation to continue their conversation the next day. What began as a chance meeting between two individuals whose lives seemed headed for certain ruin, turns into an unlikely bond of friendship that saved them both.

It was this friendship that helped Kevin thrive in prison, restore his failed marriage, and gave Don a chance at a new life that went beyond anyone’s imagination. Moving and awe-inspiring, this story of a pure friendship sheds light on the redemption and hope that can grow out of relationships based in faith.

Kevin West has recently served as executive pastor of Christ Temple Church in Huntington, West Virginia, and is now president of Kevin West Ministries, senior pastor of Expression Church of Huntington, and a business owner. He speaks internationally and can be heard on his daily radio program, Real Life with Kevin West, and on his hour-long program, Morning Shift with Kevin West: Renewing Your Thoughts and Transforming Your Life. Visit him online at KevinWest.org.

John Frederick Edwards’s writing awards include the Richard M. Devine Memorial Fellowship and two Maier Awards. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing (Bowling Green State University) and an MA in English (Marshall University). Edwards, a native West Virginian, and his wife spend their time between Kentucky and Texas with their pets.