Dear Readers, over the past 20 years I have been sharing testimonies with you about the goodness of God. At times, I look back over them and I am reminded of His goodness. Such as the case with this column written several years ago, when His love rained down, and my faith was raised up. I hope it blesses you …
It was pouring rain that Sunday morning many years ago our son, who was about 8 years old at the time, and I were suppose to meet my parents for lunch after church.
Since church had just let out the restaurant parking lot was packed, and we could not find a parking spot anywhere. It was not a large area to begin with, and to make it worse there was about a three foot drop off of the pavement on all sides.
Finally, I saw an opening, but I would have to parallel park my car on the edge of the concrete into a very tight spot.
A major accomplishment for me in the best of conditions!!
Careful. Careful. PLUNK! Hmmm Sherlock, why are we leaning?
Well, so part of our car is now hovering in mid-air.
I wonder if the owner’s manual covers this? Quick, see if there’s a reference for, “driver’s error.” Let’s seeeeee, it suggest having the “tires balanced” on a regular basis. Hmmm, I don’t think that is the problem right now. (Lol!)
We started praying in earnest for God to intervene, and within just a few
minutes we had our first responders. Two men pulled up and approached the car so
I got out in the downpour to speak to them. I started to tell them what had
“obviously” happened and with a genuine smile one of the men stopped me, “Ma’am
ya’ll just go inside, we’ll take care of the car.”
I could tell they genuinely wanted to help.
I hesitated for a brief moment, but I had peace in my heart about it, so I knew it was okay to
leave them there.
Again, he motioned for us to go inside, and my son and I made a run for
shelter.
We tried to watch from the restaurant window but it was very hard to see what was happening, so
I can’t tell you how they did it, but in a very short time, they fixed it. One of the men brought me the keys and I thanked him, but that didn’t seem near enough.
Now, I don’t know their names, they could have been “ministering angels,” or just kindhearted men, but I do know that God sent them to help us, because He’s a good Father.
Now fast forward about 12 years for this next “first responder story.”
It wasn’t that every thing had gone right that day at work, (human peace is only
experienced through the absence of problems, and I have plenty of those to deal
with), but that day I was just allowing God to love me. I was focusing in on His goodness
toward us, and in turn I was grateful at how kindhearted He is.
As I left work with this mind set of gratitude I simply told Father God,
“Thank-You so much for all that You’ve done for me (us). Lord, how can I give back
to You? I want to minister to You … ”
I sat at a traffic light watching a rainstorm pouring buckets of water across
my hood. The windshield wipers swished back and forth, I glanced to my left and
saw a man on the sidewalk holding a large sign that had an advertisement on it.
He had no rain gear on, so of course he was drenched, and he looked pretty
miserable to say the least. He obviously was being paid to tote the sign for the
passers by. When the light turned green I had the thought of taking him an
umbrella, but that wouldn’t be practical because he needed both hands to hold the
sign.
Suddenly, I looked down in my side door panel and saw a package that
contained a plastic rain poncho. I don’t even remember where I got it, but it had
been stuck down there for several years. (Of course, I never thought to use it when I needed
it. Lol. But again, maybe it was being preserved for someone else.)
I yanked out the package and pulling into the parking lot I motioned him
to come over. I put down the window and water started pouring in, just as he approached he yelled over the noise of a thunder clap, “Oh, my God, please
tell me that’s what I think it is!!!!”
I winced. Oh no, he probably thinks I’m handing him a money offering. I
hadn’t thought of giving that. He’s going to be so disappointed.
Too late, he stuck his head in the window and grabbed the package out of my hand and started hooping and hollering, “YES!!! THANK-GOD!! THANK-YOU GOD!!! THANK-YOU!!”
Quickly, he put the sign down and started ripping open the package. Taken
back by his excited response I rolled up the window and headed out of the
parking lot. I glanced back in my rear view mirror and his whole attitude seemed
to change, he actually looked happy now to be there.
This man didn’t want money at that moment, he just needed something to keep him dry.
Just then I head the Lord speak this to my heart,”You just did.”
Still distracted by what I had just witnessed I answered Him, “I just did what?”
And He softly replied, “Ministered to Me.”
I cannot express what my heart felt at that moment!!
And please understand that I’m not writing about this experience in self
pride, or that some sense of guilt or religious duty prompted me to stop that
day.
It is my intent to give an example of how a loving relationship with God
through Jesus Christ will cause us to love one another more by accident then we
could ever do on purpose.
It is a by product of gratitude, not servitude. He is always giving, but when
we are receiving God’s kind of love, we will automatically extend it to others.
It’s not second nature, it is a result of a changed nature. The gift of a
regenerated heart from the First Responder … the Lord Jesus.
“We love Him because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 NKJV
“… it is the goodness of God that leads you to repentance.” Romans 2:4 NKJV
(Heb. 1:13-14 NKJV)
Contact Brenda Groves at: bkgroves1996@yahoo.com