[I am sharing twelve stories leading up to Christmas. These twelve stories are about faith, forgiveness, and love. They are my personal stories that I’ve lived and I’m sharing with you. These stories magnify only one thing, my testimony of Jesus Christ. I hope you are inspired by these stories, just as I was when I lived through them. Please feel free to share them with others, and I pray that the true Christmas spirit is portrayed through my words, for I honor my Savior and king, Jesus Christ. Amen.]
We were out of food, we had no car, no telephone, and we only had twenty dollars to our name. I’d just given birth to my second child, a son, Tanner, only a few days prior. After a sleepless night, Tanner had finally found rest in the arms of my husband, Chris. I didn’t want to wake them, so I carefully got out of bed and got dressed. I knew we had no food, and my two-year-old daughter, Brooke, would be waking soon. The only option seemed for me to walk to the local Target and purchase the items we needed, by myself. I dressed warmly since it was the first week of January and headed out the door.
The store was only two miles away, but it seemed so much further as I walked alone down the main street. I was relieved when I arrived at the Target and gathered the items I needed, trying to make my twenty dollars stretch as far as I could. I checked out of Target with several bags and started to make my way home. Unfortunately, the hot Arizona sun was poking its head out of the clouds and in January, it was starting to warm up. My large jacket and heavy shoes seemed overwhelming, but I started to make my trek home.
I didn’t take into account the heavy bags I’d be carrying home, filled with canned food, Gatorade, diapers, nursing pads, wipes, and water. The weight of the bags soon taxed my arms and shoulders and I had to stop even before I got out of the parking lot.
Suddenly, the tears started to flow as I realized I had a long walk home. I was alone with no one to help me. The burden seemed overwhelming and my situation, hopeless. It wasn’t just the walk home, but my life in general seemed overwhelming. We were both young kids, raising two children and without much help. Our cupboards were bare and I didn’t have a phone to call for help.
But, I kept moving forward.
One foot in front of the other.
Each step I took seemed treacherous and hard. My arms heavy with the weight of the bags, my soul in desperate need of a shoulder to cry on, and a little family in need of nourishment and help. The tears flowed down my face as I walked. The sun seemed to melt my jacket to my body and my feet ached.
I couldn’t do it.
I couldn’t take one more step.
I stopped in a little business complex and sat on a small bench I found. There I wept and cried to God.
“God, I need your help. I can’t do this. I can’t take one more step. I’m not strong enough to do it. Please, help me.”
My hands cupping my face, I wept and cried. Not really knowing how God could help me, but, nonetheless, I petitioned Him.
It wasn’t but one minute later that a silver Lexus pulled up to the empty business complex. A beautiful woman was sitting in the drivers seat; she parked the car and came right up to me. I was baffled because it was a Saturday so the entire parking lot was empty. I figured she might tell me I needed to leave.
“Do you need a ride?” She asked me, smiling warmly. She seemed familiar to me, as if I’d met her before. She had long, brown hair and beautiful hazel eyes.
I had never taken a ride from a stranger before, but something about her, made me feel like it was okay.
“Yes,” I answered. Before I could get another word out, this stranger took several of my Target bags and started to put them in her car. I picked up the remaining two and followed her.
She opened the door for me and I got inside. The car was gorgeous. I had never seen such a nice car before, it was brand new and I felt bad getting in her car with dirty shoes, but she didn’t seem to mind at all.
“Where do you live?” She asked, keeping her smile large and welcoming.
“Shadow Apartments,” I answered.
“Yes, I know where those are,” She said, and started to drive away.
As she pulled out of the driveway, she said, “What is your name?”
“Carol,” I answered, still a little bit nervous taking a ride from a stranger.
“Nice to meet you, my name is Linda.” I was startled because that is my mother’s name and for some reason that made me feel at peace.
“So, why are you walking today?” She asked me as she started to drive towards my apartments.
And, then, like a waterfall I told her everything. Being young parents. Having little help. No car. No phone. Linda let me just talk her ear off with tears freely falling from my face, and, when I looked over at her, she had tears as well.
Within minutes she had parked in front of my apartment complex and we sat in her car and talked about life. She encouraged me, made me laugh, and then told me something that changed my life forever.
“Carol, I need to tell you something. I was on my way to get gas this morning when I saw you walking towards Target. I felt impressed at that moment to pull over and ask you if you needed help. But, I ignored it and drove on. I got my gas and went home. But I couldn’t stop thinking about the young girl walking by herself. I tried to get comfortable at home, but I couldn’t. You kept popping into my head. Finally, I said, ‘Okay, God, I’ll go get her.’ I got into my car and drove around but I couldn’t find you. I drove down streets and around Target for at least thirty minutes. But, I had zero luck. So, I headed home. It was then I happened to look into the business complex and saw you, head down, defeated and alone. I couldn’t believe it. God had led me right to you,” Linda said as she wiped tears from her eyes. “So, you see, I should’ve stopped the first time I saw you. The first time I felt the impression to help you. And, for that I’m sorry.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. God had known long before I had even asked that I would need help. He knew exactly who to send. He knew exactly who would listen to his petition to pick up and help one of his daughters in need. He knew before I ever asked Him.
Linda and I wept in each other’s arms. Two strangers going in very different directions, but our lives had intersected when Linda took the words of Jesus Christ literally, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? 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.”
I’ve never forgotten Linda or what she did for me. I learned a valuable lesson that day. First, that God hears our prayers and knows our needs long before we even ask him. So don’t be afraid to ask Him. Cry to Him. Petition Him. He will hear you. Second, I learned never to ignore a prompting to help someone, or call them, or text them, or send them a letter. You are God’s hands in this world.
And, I guess, there is a third lesson to be learned from my experience. Never judge another person’s circumstances. You never know why someone is in the situation they are in, you haven’t walked in their shoes, had their life, or their experiences. We are asked only to love one another as Jesus loved us. You’ll never hear me scoff at a man on the side of the road holding up a sign because I don’t know what brought him to that point. I can’t judge him, and thankfully I don’t have to.
I only have to love him.
Like Linda loved me on that hot, awful day when I didn’t think I could take one more step.
Linda loved me.
Like Jesus loves me.
Like Jesus loves you.
And, I guess, that’s all we could ever hope to aspire to be—the pure love of Christ.
About the Author...
Carol
Sue Stuart is a blogger, author, poet and marketing adviser. Based in
Arizona, Carol lives with her husband, three children, and two precious
doggies. When she isn't writing, blogging, traveling, or getting into
mischief, you can find her snuggled with a book and a plate of chocolate
chip cookies. You can follow her on Instagram @TheMoonlightBella. 
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