Xander Ordinola
Millie Rodríguez wasn’t supposed to be at work yet. After a quiet lunch with her husband one October afternoon, she was torn between heading home or arriving early at the Hobgood Elementary School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where she works as a bus driver.
“I was closer to my house,” said Rodríguez, who is a member of the Murfreesboro Hispanic Church. “But I heard a small, quiet voice say, ‘No, go to work.’ Though I thought it was too early, I listened.”
That decision — which she says was led by God — would change the course of someone else’s life.
When Rodríguez arrived at the school, she noticed something odd. The parking spot she always uses was already taken by someone she knew only in passing: Geneva McKnight, a school crossing guard.
Trusting her instinct, Rodríguez pulled in beside McKnight and walked over. When she asked if everything was all right, McKnight responded that she didn’t feel well and believed she was having a heart attack.
What followed was a blur of adrenaline. McKnight tried stepping out of her car, but Rodríguez told her to stop.
“I was nervous, but I just thought, I need to get help,” said Rodríguez. “I walked her into the school and told them, ‘Call 911.’”
Emergency crews arrived and rushed McKnight to the hospital. Doctors later confirmed she was in the middle of a heart attack. Following the incident, she had to spend one week recovering at the hospital.
Now, as McKnight reflects on the experience, she says she’s grateful for Rodríguez’s presence.
“It wasn’t even time for her to be there,” said McKnight, continuing, “but I think God intervened. [Rodríguez] was my little guardian angel. It’s in moments like that you realize how fragile life is, and how powerful God is.”
In the weeks following the incident, the two women grew closer. Rodríguez also received recognition by her workplace, news outlets, and even strangers who heard her story. However, she continues to give all the glory to God.
“[McKnight] gave me a wind chime that says, ‘My Guardian Angel,’” said Rodríguez. “But I told her, ‘No, your guardian angel is Christ. I was just the instrument.’”
is the media ministries director for the Kentucky-Tennessee Conference.
Kentucky-Tennessee | July 2025
Comments are closed.