Love is here.

On the way home from Wal-Mart about an hour ago, I was thinking to myself, "You know, I'd like to write a blog. God, please give me something to write a blog about. Maybe I'll read some more of Crazy Love or something." Apparently, God had something more genuine in mind.

As I was going down Ousleydale, I saw a person on the side of the road try to flag me down. It was a woman around the age of 40. She was skinny and had on shorts and a shabby plaid button up shirt. Did I stop? Of course not! That's how you get hurt. That's how people get robbed. That's how people play it safe. Better yet, that's how this vessel of a body gets hurt, that's how people get things taken from them that aren't theirs to start with, and that's how people do not live as God would want them to live. I hit the breaks...

Me: Dare I go back? No.
God: Yes.
Me: She might shoot me.
God: Is Heaven that bad of an option?
Me: But I've never picked anyone up before.
God: Do it.
Me: Yes sir.

I turned around. As I passed her this time, she was more in the road than before. I rolled my window down examined the situation.

Me: Can I help you with something ma'am?
Her: Honey, can I get a ride somewhere?
Me: Sure. But I need to know where you're going, why you need to go there, and if you're going to hurt me.
Her: I need to go to a friends house out past Henricks. My husband and I just got in a fight and I need to know if I can stay with her for the night. And honey, I would never hurt you, promise.
Me: Mkay, get in.
Her: Lord bless you.

She introduced herself to me. Her name was Lisa. We talked for a while about what had happened with her husband, and why it was not normally a good idea to pick up strangers. She kept telling me how grateful she was for what I was doing. I just knew that it was something God would have done. I wanted Him to be glorified through it. She told me she would pawn me her watch for the gas I was using and I told her to think nothing of it. I wanted to do something for her. She also told me about her children and her first husband who had died from a drug overdose. We got to where she needed to be taken and she asked if I'd wait outside for her. I told her sure, and I asked if she needed me to take her back to her house. She said yes. So while she was inside, I prayed. I didn't know this woman, but God told me to pick her up. I had never picked up a stranger before because we're always told not to. I prayed for safety and I prayed that what I was doing was a good witness for the woman. I wanted her to see God, not me.

When she came back out, she looked a little upset. She wasn't able to stay with the friend, so she needed to go back to her house. She asked if I had any money and I told her no. I just had my card. Selfish. It would take five seconds to go to an ATM and get her some money out. I had just gotten paid today; it's not like I was scrounging for money. So I told her I would do that. She told me not to give her $20 because she didn't want to bum from me. I stressed to her that it was God telling me to help her, and I knew she genuinely needed it. I got her the money and she thanked me multiple times.

On the way back to her house we talked more about her husband, and myself. She told me about how she was so thankful that I had a giving heart. I reminded her of her husband that overdosed. She said he always had a giving heart. He would give someone anything the needed at any time. Once, he was even robbed because of being too generous. [I'm not saying any of this for my glory. I'm saying it for the glory of God, and I beg that you realize that.] She said that after her husband had died, the only thing that they were able to donate was his heart. She thought that was a sign from God since he had such a giving heart. That might have been the entire purpose of me picking her up. We all need giving hearts. Not only when we want to, not only when we feel like it, and not only when it's safe... but when we should give. And that is always. Her husband symbolically gave of his heart even after he died. Even though nothing else in his body was worth anything, his heart was. The beating force behind the life that God has given us. Literally and theoretically.

When we got to her house she hugged me and again thanked me for all I had done. She gave me her number so I could call her and have her clean out my car one time. I'll call her; but it'll be to check on her... not to ask anything of her. She said maybe one day she'll have enough money to take me to breakfast. Just talking about it makes me want to cry. I told her I would pray for her, and I meant it. She almost cried as she told me "It's nice of you to pick a complete stranger up. Not many people would do the same even for their close friends."

Love is here. Love is now. Love is pouring from His hands; from His brow. Love is near, it satisfies. Streams of mercy flowing from His side.

Be the love of Christ to someone.