Driving home from work one day, they caught my eye.  A man and a woman, carts piled high, pushing their life’s belongings along the busy road.  

Clearly a couple with no home.

I drove past them.  And then God spoke.

See that grocery store?  Go there and buy them a gift card.

I would love to tell you that I whipped right into the grocery store parking lot.  That I happily obeyed at God’s first prompting. 

But I didn’t.  Instead, the conversation went something like this.

“But God…”

You know it’s never going to be a good conversation when it starts out like that.

“That store is crazy busy right now.  I don’t want to go in there.  Surely that wasn’t really YOU telling me to do that.”

You know the kind of conversation I’m talking about.

However, in my soul, I knew it was God, and I knew what he wanted me to do. 

And now I was wrestling between catering to my convenience and acting in charity and obedience.

I drove another mile before I decided that obedience was the better choice. 

“I’ll just buy it from this store instead.  It’s a lot less crowded here and much more convenient for me.”

Immediately I understood that this was a hard NO.

No, Daughter, this store is not convenient for them.  Do you not know that they will have to push their life’s belongings one more mile to buy their food?  You must go back.

With resignation and a more willing heart, I turned the car around and went back the mile, into the store, and purchased the card in the amount God had given.

Climbing back in my car, I wasn’t sure if I would even be able to find them at this point. 

But as I exited the parking lot on an adjacent street, there sat the two carts, the man and woman now resting against a wall behind some bushes.

I pulled over, got out of my vehicle, and with a friendly hello, asked if I could approach. 

And then I met the two most gracious, kind, and grateful people, Matt and Tammy. 

They told me their story of how COVID had taken everything from them, how they had to send their three children away to live with family elsewhere, and how they were doing everything they could do to get back on their feet again.

And they thanked me for the card, saying that it would feed them for the week.

I left heart full, grateful, and prayerful.  Knowing that not only had I been obedient and thrilled the heart of the Father, I had blessed these two souls who needed a hand. 

And this, in turn, blessed me. 

Not surprising, as this was the simple fulfillment of a Biblical promise.  Just look at Proverbs 19:17:

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.

I am here to tell you this is wholly true.  I saw it for myself that day. 

Our great big God, creator of all, has a soft spot for the poor and suffering among us. 

A tender heart for the downtrodden. 

And we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus to them when given the opportunity. 

Truth be told, I sometimes find it far too easy to turn a blind eye to the poor among us, because these aren’t the people I generally do life with.  I know I am not alone in this. 

It’s good to have a reminder that Jesus wants us to remember these.  And to know that when we step away from our everyday long enough to be a blessing, not only does God bless them, but in turn he also blesses us. 

I drove away that afternoon thinking about what I would have missed if I had disregarded God’s prompting.

And thinking about the relief that they would find because I had chosen obedience.  Then pondering what God would do for them next, and praying for them often in the following days.

These months later, I still think of Matt and Tammy from time to time.  Did they get back on their feet? Or are they wandering still?  Did God provide for them again in some miraculous way?  Have they been reunited with their children?

The answers to these questions I will likely never know on this side of Heaven.

But what I do know is that God was merciful, both to them and me that day. 

He provided for their physical needs, while challenging my faith and rewarding my obedience. 

He’s a good God like that.

So, my friends, keep those ears open to God’s promptings, and keep those hearts moldable and ready.

Allow yourself to step out of your comfort zone once in a while, and see what reward he has waiting for you.

The obedience may push you out of your comfort zone, but the reward is well worth it.