"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you,
whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine,
you did for me."
Matthew 25:40
How many times most of us have heard that scripture quoted, and in our hearts we knew we needed to be more sensitive to the Lord's leading when we encounter people who need help?
I am guilty of allowing many opportunities to bless people pass me by without doing something, and I am trying to make a change in this area of my life.
More often than not, we pick people up in Mexico that need rides, and usually we pick them up on the U.S. side of the border as well, when we have time to take them where they need to go.
We've had so many wonderful experiences giving rides over the years, and I can honestly say, only one bad experience that wasn't really that bad.
When we lived in Aspermont, Texas, we often met people passing through town that needed a place to stay, and we were able to give them a meal, a place to sleep and let them clean up and wash their clothes. Some of those people stayed for days or weeks. One man in particular, who stayed three weeks several times he visited is still in touch with us, and lives in North Dakota now. More than once, local people brought homeless to our door when they didn't feel comfortable offering hospitality in their own homes.
Bill and I have both had times in our lives when we didn't have a place to call home, and it has made us sensitive to others in the same predicament.
Two weeks ago, I was traveling to visit my kids and saw a man on the side of the road with a duffel bag. I pulled over and asked him where he was going, and he said Fort Worth. I told him I was going that way and could deliver him right to where he wanted to go.
For the next two and a half hours, we talked as I drove and in talking, got to know each other a little.
He introduced himself as Cecil and told me he grew up in Wichita Falls and Amarillo, and had been visiting his mother in Seymour and working in a town nearby for a few weeks, doing ranch work, when I picked him up there. He told me he had done a 10 year stint in prison for 6 DUI's and got out three years ago. Unfortunately, because he was now a felon, it was hard to get work, so he went back and forth between Fort Worth and Seymour, looking for work and staying in the homeless shelter downtown.
I shared my testimony with Cecil, and asked if he had a relationship with the Lord. He said no, but he was hoping things would start looking up for him now that he was not drinking and staying out of trouble. I encouraged him to look for a church home and start reading the bible, telling him that the enemy was out to steal, kill and destroy each one of us, but that God had a wonderful plan for his life. (Jeremiah 29:11) He was skeptical, but promised he'd try to start looking into a church home.
We took a picture outside the shelter when I dropped him off, and I asked him if I could pray for him before I left. He said sure, and I prayed for God to open his eyes, to protect him and provide for his every need, and to guide his steps. When I said goodbye, I gave him some money and he said thank you for the ride and the gift, and I gave him our phone number, telling him to check in when he could and let us know how he's doing.
It was a divine appointment, and I was so glad God put Cecil in my path that day.
Six days later, I was on my way to Sacramento to see my daughter and her family, and I parked in the Denny's parking lot in Barstow, California, walking in to have breakfast.
I saw a man walking through the parking lot and I said hello. He hesitantly said hello, and I asked if he'd like to have breakfast with me. He said, "I don't know you."
I said, "I don't know you either, yet, but if you'd like, I'd like to buy your breakfast."
He was hesitant, but said okay, and asked if he could get it to go. He was buying a newspaper and needed to get back to his mother at the house.
I said sure, and we walked inside and sat down.
As we introduced ourselves, he told me his name was Danny Ramiro, and he lived with his mother in a house down the hill from the restaurant.
It broke my heart when he told me this was the second time someone had done something nice for him in his lifetime. That's such a sad statement, I thought.
He said he'd been married twice, never had children and had done a few months in jail for driving while drunk. He had worked at Walmart for ten years, and at the local truck stop for another ten years, but had recently been unemployed and was living with his elderly mother. He told me she would think he stole the food, as he had no money for such a meal.
When the waitress brought his food in the take-out boxes, he thanked me and I told him I would like to pray for him before he left, if that was okay. He said that would be fine, and I prayed for Danny and for his mother.
I shook hands with Danny and we said our good-byes. I was thankful for the 20 minutes we had to visit and the opportunity to be a blessing to this man who had not been blessed very much in his 58 years.
That was last Thursday, and today, I had another opportunity to help someone in need.
I was at a gas station in South Sacramento, and after I finished filling up, I started to drive away and saw a woman sitting on a mound of grass a the edge of the property where the gas station was, and pulled over.
Some time ago, I'd seen a suggestion someone shared about what to do with old purses. I filled one up with hygiene items such as shampoo and lotion samples, a travel pack of Kleenex, toothbrush and toothpaste, some candy, a comb, some antibacterial wipes, a roll of toilet paper, a flashlight and a few other miscellaneous items, including a Christian Gospel tract.
I parked the van and walked over to the woman with the purse full of goodies. Introducing myself, I told her I had a few things she might be able to use, and she said she'd appreciate it. She introduced herself as Diane, and said she was from Sacramento, but had recently become homeless. I asked her if she would mind if I prayed for her, and she said she'd like that very much. We held each other's shoulders, and I prayed for Diane, and she prayed with me, agreeing in my prayer for her protection, health, provision and for God to direct her steps. When we finished praying, we hugged and I told her I would keep her in my prayers. She was so sweet and so thankful, she encouraged me more than I encouraged her.
Sunday morning, I attended a service at the church my daughter attends. The pastor shared that God wants us to grow in our understanding of His love for us. He can handle my mess and often make a message of His goodness out of us. He came to bring us a life of peace and deep-seated joy.
Even though I fall short of where I believe I should be, I know God can use me, even when I am so imperfect and not nearly the godly Christian I ought to be.
But I cling to the scripture that tells me, "...being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ..." Philippians 1:6
Be encouraged today. He isn't finished with us yet. He can use our perfections for His glory.
God bless you today as you share His love with the lost.
In His grip,
Toni and Bill
