I’m not sure why God put this personal story in my heart to share with you all today, but I vowed many years ago to listen to His direction (I discovered what happens when you don’t!).
Maybe this story is meant for just one person and if that is all, that’s okay. Maybe there is more than one and that would be good too. Anyway……….

About twenty years ago, we had just returned from our family vacation. We’d been gone for a few weeks and had our Yellow Lab, Romeo, in the kennel while we were gone. I decided to run to Pet Smart and buy him food, so I’d have it when I picked him up in the morning.

It was a hot, muggy August Sunday night and the few cars in the lot let me know I would thankfully be in and out quickly. As I got out of the car a man who I hadn’t noticed approached me - “Hey my brother, I’m from out of town and I need to catch a bus and don’t have any money. I’m sorry to ask you this but could you spare a few dollars?”

Yea, what you’re thinking crossed my mind too, but I reached into my pocket anyway and pulled out the only money I had. I recall it was around $6. I handed it to him and he couldn’t thank me enough. “God bless you, sir. Thank you so much. Thanks, man, I really appreciate it.” Feeling undeserved as well as a bit embarrassed I told him it was no problem and was sorry I didn’t have more. He kept thanking me as I turned to walk into the store.

After a few steps, I turned to see where he was but not seeing him standing or walking away was kind of strange. Straining my neck to look for him, I even bent down to see if he was near a car. But he was nowhere among the few cars in that expansive lot……….he was gone.

“That’s impossible,” I thought to myself. My curiosity now piqued went back to my car. He was gone. Nowhere. N-O-W-H-E-R-E.
A few minutes later as I left the store I continued to think about this man. Of course, I noticed he was still not around. Then I suddenly remembered a verse in Hebrews 13:2 in the Bible “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.”

Now I am not presumptuous enough to think I was visited by an angel, yet I write this for this reason – in this world it is easy, almost required sadly, that we ignore our brother or sister. Don’t. Our world has sadly become so very jaded. So (if I can use the word) selfish.

Help where you can and when you can. Be there for someone. Be a light, a beacon a helper. It could be a neighbor, a coworker, or a friend. Never be a doormat, but never forget that an act of kindness can mean more than you could possibly know. Like my experience so many years ago………..you never truly know……………..