I wasn't ready until now...

A month or so ago I had a wonderful experience in the parking lot of Wal-mart and wasn't ready until now to share it with everyone.
Kobe and I, as usual, where running around doing errands and had stopped at Wal-mart. When we were going thru the check out I thought to my self "I should REALLY wash my car." Now, I have had my car for over a year now and probably have only had it washed three times (at the most), so you can tell, I don't think about it often. I continued to check out and used my debit card like I always do, but this time asked for $20 cash back (which I NEVER do) to pay for the car wash. As I walked out of the store I had every intention of going to the car wash and getting my filthy car washed. I walked out to the car to put my groceries away and I saw a 20 something year old guy collecting carts in the parking lot like I usually do. Out of NO WHERE God told me "Give him the $20." Inside I said, no, I don't need to give that to him, that would be uncomfortable, he would think I was weird, and I want to wash my car. Then, again, God told me "Give him the $20, he needs it, and he needs to see I care about him." So, I got in my car and drove closer to where he was gathering carts, jumped out of the car with my $20 bill in my fist and walked over to him. I held my hand out with the money in it and said, "Here, I felt like I should give this to you." The "cart collector" was shocked to say the least, he stood there, half shaking his head because you could tell that he didn't feel right taking the money and half because he couldn't belive it was happening. I said, "It's not fake or anything, here." He just stood with the most confused look I have ever seen on his face. Then I realized he couldn't take it until I told him what was really going on. I said "God told me to give this to you, He said you need it." He looked at me, finally took the money and said, "Well, He wasn't kidding. Thanks." I walked back to my car and got in, looked back at him looking at the money in his hand and then he looked up, smiled and waved goodbye to me, and I waved back.
I just wanted to share my story because I read someone else's and I know how it made me feel to read about their experience and I realized it was ok to share mine too. Here is the story that inspired me to share mine:

Me Ra (that is her name, this is her story from her blog)

With it being Easter weekend, I have to share what happened as I left Vegas last week. It’s one of those things that you almost can’t talk about for a couple days so you write it all down to make sure you don’t forget. But then you realize that you’ve got to share this story b/c you can’t believe it really happened.

The morning I left Vegas I had to return my rental car so Greg and Carmen map quested it for me. When I got to the address there was nothing there. Come to find out, the rental car was supposed to move their location but they were behind schedule and map quest didn’t know it. So I missed my flight.

The lady at Alaska said there must be a reason I missed my flight. I’m thinking ‘I just need to get home to my kids!’ The next flight wasn’t for another four hours. When it finally came time to board, they said I didn’t have a seat. There had been some mistake, and I would need to wait another six hours for the next available flight.

I started crying. Pascaline had been through some tough things when I was gone, and I just needed to get home.

A man walked up to the counter and asked if he could help. The ticket guy told him what had happened, and the man looked at me and said, “You can have my ticket.” The ticket guy tried to tell him he would have to wait six hours for the next flight, but he said that was fine. He said he needed to do this.

I stood there in shock. How do you say thank you. I was so overwhelmed I couldn’t stop crying. The man leaned forward and said, “Ma’am, every day I pray for the same thing. I just want to hear God’s voice, and every day I don’t feel like I hear any thing. But today I heard Him. He told me to turn around. That’s when I saw you standing here. And then He said, give her your ticket and tell her that I love her. Tell her that I hear the cry of her heart, and I’m taking care of her.”

I was speechless.

The man was in tears with me. He shook my hand and said “just receive. If your heart can hear that God cares and sees you, I can wait six hours for my next flight.”

So often I find myself praying for miracles to happen, the impossible to work out, the friend or family member that is hurting to be healed. And yet, my heart is also hoping that God just remembers my name in all the cares of the universe. This random man name Jim helped me remember that He does. I’m so thankful for people who take risks. His risk to help me and share with me went so deep. He’ll never know how much it meant.

Wishing you all a wonderful Easter! Much love, Me Ra