Friday, April 08, 2005

TRAVELER'S AID

Here’s a day-brightener that might make your personal circumstances look a little better:

After church services this past Sunday, a friend named Jim was called aside to give some benevolence money to a stranger who had come in. Turns out she had stopped because she saw the steeple, she was totally out of money, and she was desperate.

She was driving from Pennsylvania to Denver with her three kids, and everything they owned was in that U-Haul. You could tell it was a time of enormous life change. Each child clutched a bag full of leftover doughnuts from the fellowship time against their chests. It was obvious it was their only food.

Jim asked her to follow him to a nearby gas station and put 30 gallons into the car. He also gave her enough cash to get to Denver and feed the kids a couple of times along the way.

She insisted on taking pictures, and vowed: "I will pay you back some day."

Jim said, "No, YOU have blessed US, and some day, God will bless you by having you help someone else the same way." She smiled, loaded up the kids, and said, "I WILL send you a picture!"

She already sent one to us: here is the church, here is the steeple, open the doors . . . and you really will find God’s people.

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Prayer request: May that traveler, Colleen, and her kids find safe harbor and a fresh start in Denver. May they quickly find a truth-preaching church and wonderful friends. And may Jim feel the extra-special warmth of Your approval, Father, for doing what You’ve asked us to do: love one another. (John 15:12)

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