Yesterday, I came across as someone who has given up on mankind. That isn't exactly true -- I personally know LOTS of people who would NEVER use a gun to take another's life. And, my friends and I have been talking lately about what people can/should do to help others.
Today, as I humbly make this entry, I will tell about an opportunity that I had to help another. And, I mean this humbly, and I don't expect any sort of praise, and I am not boasting of myself, but am ever impressed with the opportunities that God gives us, to let us choose what we will do with it!
Anyway, this is how it happened:
My nephew asked me to take him to Wal-Mart, to get some ping pong balls. So, off we went. Jorge (my husband) was on the phone with a friend, so he was waiting in the car. My nephew, his friend and I paid for the items that we needed and headed out the door. By that time, Jorge was standing on the sidewalk, outside of Wal-Mart, still on the phone.
When I approached him, he said, in Spanish, "You have an opportunity to do some service today."
Questioning him with the look on my face, he replied, "A lady needs a ride. She was crying and said that she needs a ride."
I looked up to see a woman carrying a small child. I am like a Nazi (you know how that feels, Maddy!! LOL) about little children in carseats, so my initial reaction was "NO WAY!!" So, I said, "Jorge, we don't have room for them!"
He, ironically, didn't see the woman with the small child, and started questioning why didn't we have room. Let me further explain by saying that my nephew is 6'1, and his friend . . . well, not so tall, but these are NOT little boys!! Jorge started to explain how and why we should make room for this lady, and how it can work.
I take a second look, because he has said NOTHING about the small child . . . to see this little lady, pushing a cart full of Wal-Mart bags, and looking very distraught. My heart instantly melted, at the dismay on her face. I asked her, "Do you need some help? Did you lose your car?"
"I just need a ride!" she answered.
I asked for a little more information, "Where do you need a ride to?"
She said "Power road -- I just need a ride to Power road!"
At that point, I was a little confused, because we were at the Wal-Mart that is on the corner of Superstition Springs and Southern, about 1/2 a mile from Power Road. She started telling me about some landmarks that are around where she needed to go, some of which did not sound familiar.
So, we loaded her stuff in the trunk, made all the boys (Jorge included) sit in the backseat, and we were off! She was so worried about getting home, that she didn't even put her seat belt on properly . . . she just held it the whole time. (usually I'm a Nazi about that too, but she was already WAY stressed!!)
As she climbed in the car, she exclaimed, "You are with God!!" And proceeded to thank me again and again for giving her a ride.
I asked her how she got to Wal-Mart, and she said that someone dropped her off, and they were supposed to come back and get her but they hadn't done that.
We drove about a mile south on Power before she started saying things like, "Okay, there's the gas station . . . " etc. She said, "I'm strange here, so I don't really know too many streets . . . ."
(She was so cute -- I knew what she meant!)
Anyway, when we arrived at her daughter's house, she said, "I need to give you a hug!" (This wasn't very appealing to me, as she smelled as though she had been walking in the heat ALL DAY!!) But, I let her give me a hug, and then she said, "I love you! Thank you so much!!"
As Jorge helped her unload her items from the trunk, she said "I love you" again, and waved good-bye.
It was ackward for me -- who tells a complete stranger "I love you!"??? But, it was pure and innocent and came from her heart, as she was so grateful for the help that we had given her.
As we drove away, I got very emotional -- I could see my Mom, walking through the Wal-Mart parking lot, confused and distraught! I only hope and pray that if that day does come, when my Mom needs help from a stranger, they will reach out to her, too.
I really got a view of "if you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto Me" because my Heavenly Father wanted me to see that woman that way . . . as one of His daughters that needed my help.
I'm glad that my husband has such a big heart, that he helped me to see the need there -- he said, "Maybe I don't understand her English, but I think she need our help!"
Truly a humbling, reassuring experience, that God IS aware of what we need, and if we pay attention, we can be His hands, here on earth, to help and lift others.
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