“If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion-how can God’s love be in that person?” 1 John 3:17-NLT.

I was reading not long ago about Bill and Melinda Gates and the charitable foundation they oversee that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars every year to good causes all around the world.

Some of us may wonder if we ourselves oversaw such a large pool of wealth, what we might do to assist those who would be in need around us.

Not many of us of course will ever get to know that specific kind of experience here in this world, but God can sometimes use the little we may have on us to bless someone as He so leads us in a given situation according to His perfect timing.

A short time ago as I was heading out to my gym for a workout, I approached my normal parking area which has paid meters in place and I remembered the last time I had been there that I was blessed by someone who was just leaving his parking spot who had told me “Why don’t you park here? I still have an hour left on my meter.”

I thanked the individual for his kindness and left my car there while I went and did my exercise routine.

As I approached the very same spot a couple of weeks later, I said to the Lord, “Thank you for the blessing I received the last time I parked here in this area.” Not that I was looking for someone to do that same thing again for me, but I was just reflecting how nice it was to receive that unexpected act of kindness from a total stranger.

This time around I parked my car, locked up my valuables and proceeded to the pay meter with $ 5.00 in change in my coin pouch: two-$2.00 coins and one-$1.00 coin.

For my one-hour parking I deposited the $1.00 coin in the meter and as I was ready to cross the street, a gentleman came up to me and said, “You wouldn’t have change for a $5.00 bill would you? I need some change for my parking meter.”

I said to the man, “I just put a $1.00 in my meter and all I have left is $4.00..so sorry I can’t help you. ” As the man began to walk away, I felt the Lord prompt me and say, “Give the man one of your $2.00 coins….”

So I said to him, “Here is $2.00 for your parking meter, please take it.”…At first he said he couldn’t, but I insisted and so he said, “Thank you very much” to me and I said, “God bless you and have a good day!”

Feeling kind of good about being able to do this small act of kindness, I crossed the second street on my way to the gym when I was then approached by a young girl probably in her late teens or early 20’s who came up to me and said, “Could you help me with something to eat?” I told her, “All I have on me is $2.00, but come on inside and I will buy something for you at the cafeteria.”

As we walked toward the eatery I chatted with her and mentioned there were a number of food banks in the area that would be willing to assist her with groceries and she said she was aware of all that info but she just needed something to eat right now.

As I laid my last $2.00 on the counter for her to get a bagel with cream cheese, I also said to her, “God bless you!” and went onto my workout as originally intended.

Not having a cent left on me felt even better as I realized that God had set up these two seemingly small encounters, all within a couple of minutes of each other, to bless someone else who was in need.

Take a minute now to thank God today for all the blessings you have in your life and ask Him how you can bless others who may come within your sphere of influence and even your limited resources…you never know who He will send your way and for what reason!

By Victor Cyr