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Deuteronomy 10:18 – [The Lord your God] executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. (ESV)
"Sharon, look, there's a nail in my tire." My sister, Bonnie, pointed to the sharp end poking out of her rear tire. We had stopped at a store before a trip to the mountains. She dropped me off at the door, then parked the car. Thinking that I wouldn't know where she was, she got out of the car to find me and "just happened" to notice the nail. If she hadn't, we would have been stranded with a flat on a winding mountain road.
We drove to a nearby tire store that my sister had used before. She has three adult Down's Syndrome daughters, one natural, two adopted. As we all walked to the office, a tire repairman and a customer came out to meet us. They looked at the tire and determined that it couldn't be fixed; a new tire was needed. As a single mother, Bonnie is on a limited income, so this was a major expense. As she pulled out her card to pay, the customer who had greeted us pulled out his credit card and paid for her tire! We realized later that his wife, who was with him and had been chatting with the girls, was especially enchanted with the youngest and most severely disabled. While we were standing at the desk, she must have encouraged him to take care of us.
The store was busy, but when we explained that we were on our way to the mountains, the repairman jumped her car to the head of the line and had her tire changed in less than 30 minutes. Bonnie cried a bit, hugged everyone, thanked them repeatedly, and we went on our way, blessed beyond belief.
In Luke, chapter 10, Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan. Two people passed by the man attacked by robbers, but the Samaritan stopped to help, and even promised to pay for any extra expense on his way back home. Jesus tells the listeners to be like the Good Samaritan, to have mercy on others, and to be a good neighbour. My sister and her daughters have experienced this many times: anonymous people pay for their meals; friends and family give her monetary gifts and help her with childcare; and she receives unexpected money, often from unknown sources. She is repeatedly blessed by Good Samaritans.
We all encounter needy people. What can we do to be a Good Samaritan? I have a friend who asks the waitress how he can pray for her as we ask the blessing. Sometimes, it's just a smile and a brief conversation with someone who seems sad. Sometimes, it may be paying for a tire. What can we do today to reach out in Jesus' name?
Prayer: Father, help us to notice those around us who are in need, to stop and think about what we can do to help each one. We want to be Your hands, feet, and even Your source of financial help whenever we can. Give us Your gift of mercy. Amen.
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Sunday, May 28, 2023 – Worldwide — Day of Pentecost—Pray that our churches worldwide may experience a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit, so that we may be better enabled to share our faith with our families, friends, and communities.
cancer: "May 27, 2023. Please pray fervently for my friend who has just been diagnosed with ovarian cancer..." 
Pregnant daughter so very sick!: "May 26, 2023. Please pray for my daughter AD, who is having her first baby at 36 years old. She is..." 
Great encouragement, Sharon.
Thanks for a wonderful challenge, Sharon.
Good one Sharon!
Blessings.
Such an inspirational story, thank you Sharon! Blessings to you and your family!
It is touching to hear that we have some “Good Samaritans” out there helping people.
Thanks, Sharon, for sharing this example of God’s timely, protective, and caring intervention in our lives. Blessings.
Thanks for sharing this beautiful story! In such troubling times it’s refreshing to hear about the good things that are happening instead of the bad things. Blessings to you and those you love and stay safe.
My children are fatherless and I am a widow. My husband died several years ago. The Lord, continues to provide! People have been generous to me, and in the last two years, I am now generous to others. Thank you,
(Manitoba, Canada)
O Sharon! This great devotional with its sharp point brings tears to the eyes of anyone who reads it – guaranteed. I, like all the other readers, are surely picturing those three wonderful ‘children,’ in their innocence and joy and the wonder of their family life with your sister. What a blessing she is to others! Thank you more than I can say.
Thank you, Sharon!
You brought out my favourite story and the first that I learned from the Bible.
This story influenced my life since then, and that’s been over 75 years when it started.
Thanks for helping us all to keep up our faith.
(Quebec)
Dear Sharon,
What a remarkable story that we needed to hear as a good reminder of the remarkable people in this world like your sister, Bonnie, and the people who care and help in ways that they can. Thank you for sharing and writing powerful devotionals and tears of joy run down my face. May many blessing flow to others from people reading your story.
What a lovely story, Sharon. There are good people in this world. Your sister is one of them. A cousin had Down’s Syndrome, and she was quite a handful. They lived in a small town and there was not the help that is available today. Thank God for people like your sister and those who help her. This story has made me realize once more there is much I should be doing.
(Texas)
Dear Sharon:
Thank you for this beautiful and uplifting story. Since Covid our church had been unable to host our Friendship Club for the mentally and physically challenged. I miss them so much!
I pray this little note finds you healthy and safe from Covid 19 and that our Good Lord will bless you all in the States.
Hello Sharon,
Thank you for another beautiful and heartwarming devotional. Wonderful to hear how people stepped forward and assisted your sister in the situation concerning her car tire. How pleased our Lord must feel to see people abiding in caring ways. Sometimes the smallest gesture of good will can make an enormous difference in someone else’s life.
Blessings for writing how the Lord was watching over you and your sister and her daughters at the perfect time.
(B.C.)
You have inspired many people today.
Wonderful story.
Thank you.