Praising You Changes Me

Fat Wallet

“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2

A few years ago we went through a gasoline shortage in Georgia. What I most remember is searching for stations with available gas. These stations were easy to find. All you had to do was look for a crowded station with horns blowing. And, at times, people arguing over who got there first. I decided to search for a place to get gas before going out of town. I found a station on Old Milton Parkway. While there was a line, as I was driving up, someone was pulling out. Thank you LORD…I said to myself. So, I pulled out my credit card, got out of the car and pumped gas. I placed my credit card back in my wallet. I was so happy I found a station without a lot of searching and seeking. I jumped in the car, pulled off and proceeded down Old Milton Parkway. I was down the street, about two blocks away from the station when I noticed someone behind me trying to get my attention. What could they possibly want?

As I pulled up to the intersection in the left turn lane, the woman behind me jumped out of her car while the light was red, came up to my car and proceeded to hand me my fat wallet—which was apparently on the trunk of my car and had been there for two blocks. I was about to make a left turn mind you.

Well, I was so excited about the gas that I wasn’t paying attention and I placed my wallet on the trunk and left it there. How does a fat, thick wallet stay on a slippery trunk for two blocks? The answer: God saw fit for the wallet to stay on the trunk of my car for two blocks. Just imagine the woman behind me who saw this miraculous sight. She stepped in just in the nick of time. I was about to turn left. After she handed me my wallet, I thanked her over and over again. After we turned the corner, I could no longer see the car or the woman.

In the busyness of my day, God saw fit for an angel to be placed behind me, at that perfect moment—because the wallet would not have survived a left turn. And, imagine what my day would have been like in anticipation of out of town travel—without my driver’s license, credit cards and other important items.

My Prayer and Praise: LORD, I thank you and praise you for your perfect timing. And, for protecting my valuables.

Questions to Ponder: Have you allowed God to use you to help someone out of a potential crisis they don’t yet know about—a dropped wallet, a lost purse, potential danger they are unaware of? Are you willing to help someone in their time of unknown need or are you satisfied that someone else will handle it? Have you ever been helped out of a bad situation before it occurred? If so, weren’t you glad someone stepped in?

My Prayer: Write a prayer asking the LORD to give you a spirit of helpfulness—if you don’t have this attribute. You could be just that angel someone needs in their time of desperation.