Sometimes God sends us little reminders of ways that we can serve Him. One of those arrived for me in the form of something I read on Facebook. I asked Stacey Lacik if I could share her post because I thought it might touch your heart as well. Here’s what she wrote:
“I’ve been thinking about something that happened a long, long time ago. My husband had left, and the girls and I were on our own, in our little house at the top of the hill. There was no money other than what I made cleaning houses and teaching piano.
“One day when I was mowing the lawn, the machine suddenly ran out of gas. I had only finished some of the front yard, and I stood there for a few minutes, trying to think of what to do. I got the little red gas container out of the garage and headed off on foot to the gas station, praying all the way about whether or not it was wise to spend the money just to finish mowing the lawn, or whether I needed to save it for another need. It was hot, and I was tired.
“I was standing at the pump filling the can, still praying about all of my money worries, when a woman drove up, got out of her car, and walked up to me. ‘Excuse me,’ she said, ‘but were you just praying about money?’ I looked around at the people at the other gas pumps.
“‘Yes,’ I said, completely caught off guard. She handed me a small roll of bills.
‘All of your needs will be met—have already been provided for—but you have to ask God first, for everything.’ And then she got in her car and drove off.”
I can imagine how precious both the gift and the words were to Stacey that day—what a jolt of encouragement they must have been to a struggling young mom.
Here’s what is beautiful about that moment: Each of us has that same ability to encourage someone else. The woman at the gas pump had been sensitive to God’s nudging that day, and because of that, a priceless moment happened for Stacey—one that she’s never forgotten.
And that leads to a couple of questions for all of us today: How can we become more sensitive to God’s whispers to do something for someone? And what can we do to help someone who needs a helping hand or an encouraging word today?
