A Simple Act of Kindness

Yesterday on Mother's Day while driving out to visit with my mom, our van broke down.  Great gift, right?  I could have let worry consume me.  I could have been upset that God could allow this to happen when we were 2 1/2 hours from home.  But instead, much to my surprise, I began to see God's fingerprints all over the situation. 

We had been driving along with no problems when all of sudden our "Low Engine Oil Pressure" light came on accompanied by rapid beeping.  We were on the outskirts of a small town with nowhere to pull over immediately, so we drove on for a few minutes.  Just as we got close a small drive thru, our van died and we coasted into the parking lot.  Thankfully we were only 10 minutes from where we were meeting my mom!

While waiting for her to arrive, and feeling a bit discouraged about our situation, the woman who worked at the drive thru came out to offer her assistance.  But then she did something beyond what I would have expected.  She saw my boys and asked if I would be ok with her giving them some ice cream while we waited, free of charge. 

It was a simple act of kindness.  She didn't know us or the details of our situation.  She only knew that we were having trouble and offered what she had.  That small gesture was a huge reminder to me that God was with us and we were loved.  I hope to be able to see opportunities to bless others in the same way.

After checking fluid levels and talking to a friend who is a mechanic, we decided that driving the vehicle was not safe.  Sundays are not a good time to break down either, much less on Mother's Day.  So we were stuck.  But once again, God's provision could be seen.  It just so "happened" that my mom had driven separately from her boyfriend to the lake that weekend and she was able to loan us her Jeep for the week .

I still don't know what the fate is of our van (it could be engine failure...yikes!), but I'm resting in the knowledge that it's in His hands.  I'm thankful for warning lights, parking lots, nice ladies who spoil my boys with ice cream, a working vehicle, a generous mom, and a God who cares about every detail of my life. 

May your eyes be opened to God's fingerprints that are surrounding you today.