It was another gorgeous summer morning—the city awash with bright sunlight against a backdrop of blue skies. I was heading down the freeway, kids in the backseat, on the way to drop my 11-year-old son off at a friend's house. That's when I saw her. A 60-something lady walking on the grassy embankment between the busy road and rows of fenced in houses. Nothing too out of the ordinary with the neighborhood right there. I expected to see a dog running around her with carefree joy. But there was no dog. And then I noticed her carrying a purse. Odd for someone out for a leisurely stroll. We passed a broken-down car parked at the side of the road, and I realized what must have happened. It was too late to stop to help, so I continued on my way.
After the twins and I waved bye to Thomas, I pointed the car in the direction of home. About to turn right, I glanced the other way and noticed the same lady making her way down a road no longer used for traffic that lead from the freeway.
“Hey guys,” I looked back at my seven-year-olds through the rearview mirror, “I just need to do something before we head home.”
I swung the car around, stopped, and called out the passenger window to the woman, “Do you need any help? Can I give you a ride?”
With a mix of surprise, relief, and weariness, the woman made her way to the car as tears began to trace their way down her cheeks. Without hesitation, she opened the door and entered the car.
“Oh, you must be an angel! Oh, thank you. You're an angel. My car broke down, and I forgot to take my pain medication for my hips, and I couldn't get a hold of my husband, and…” The story continued to spill from her lips as she directed me to her house a few blocks away—her mother had just passed away and she had been going through such a hard time. My heart ached for her and filled with Jesus’ love for her.
“I'm so glad I saw you beside the freeway, and then again just now.”
“You're such an angel!”
“Well, I'm not an angel, but God saw you, and He sent me to help you because He loves you.” A look of awe came upon the distraught woman as my kids in the backseat listened with rapt attention.
Within minutes, we had arrived at her house, but before she got out of the car I asked if I could pray for her. She said yes, and through prayer, I was able to speak the Lord's truth over her.
I prayed, “Dear Jesus, thank you so much for _____. Thank you that you love her so much that you sent me along to help her today. Thank you that you are not a distant God, but close and loving and you see us in our need. Please bring comfort to her as she mourns the loss of her mom, and bring healing to her hip by Your power. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
She thanked me, and I felt a strong urge to hug this dear stranger. As she got up to exit the car, she asked me what church I went to and said she was looking for a church; I shared the name. And then we said good-bye, two women blessed by the divine appointment orchestrated by the Lord, perhaps never to meet again until we're home with Jesus.
The Lord reminded me of this story today. I wish I could say that encounters like this happen to me all the time, but they don't. I just happened to have my eyes open that day, and have the time, desire, and means to be a blessing—to be Jesus to another precious human being. But what if I could be an unexpected blessing to people often? What would it take?
Today as I was reading through the Gospel of John, I came to the well-know story of the woman at the well in Chapter 4. Jesus was in the right place at the right time to reveal His love and offer of salvation—Himself, the living water—to a woman so desperate for hope and life. He told her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water willing up to eternal life.” She embraced this living water, recognizing Jesus as the Messiah, and ran and told her whole town, many of whom believed.
All I can say is, wow! Jesus is amazing, and He is the One this world needs—the same One the world has always needed. Today, both you and I, let's keep our eyes open, and seek out those who need a little (or a lot) of Jesus today.
Have a blessed day, and if this message resonated with you, feel free to let me know, and share it with a friend!
In Him,
Christin
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