Charlyne is hesitant to have me share the everyday things she does that makes her the person scores of people love. This one happened a couple of weeks ago, so maybe I can slip it in unnoticed.
On a busy Friday afternoon my wife had made a quick stop at the grocery. After she had checked out, out the way out of the door, she passed a frail very old woman, almost in tears, standing beside her shopping cart. Charyne reports she had passed the woman when the Holy Spirit prompted her to go back and offer to help.
This little lady shared a heartbreaking story. She had buried her husband a few days before. Her out-of-town daughter had come for the funeral and was now attempting to convince the lady she could no longer live alone. The little lady had gone to the grocery to pick up a few items, but she forgot her money.
My wife offered to pay for the woman's groceries, but she had already called her daughter to bring money to the store. The "I told you so's" about no longer being able to care for herself that would follow had the woman in tears.
The only bright spot in this scenario was a stranger offering to pay for her groceries. The lady even shared the offer with a store manager who stopped by. Charlyne obeyed the Holy Spirit's leading and all it cost her was about three minutes of her day.
I wish I could report that I have always obeyed when God was leading me to take time to help, but I can't. Several years ago I had picked up another man and we were on our way to a Saturday church function. We passed a car with a flat tire alongside the road. The female driver was out of the car and staring at her tire. I did not utter a word and continued on. A few blocks ahead the man riding with me asked if we should go back. By then, I was already making a U-turn.
There are a few people in this Ministry who read a comment about someone in need and these faithful people respond to help them. Another stander, even when he was homeless and living in his car, would hand a couple dollars to other needy people.
God could choose to use any of His children to help someone in need. Could His quiet call to any of us be a test? We could pretend to be spiritually deaf, and God would use someone else, or we can following His holy leading and help someone else while setting ourselves up for a blessing. Every one of us have time for that.
