I stood in the hot sun, shielding my eyes and looking out at the Fred Meyer gas station. I prayed that God would give us divine appointments, and little did I know just how He would fulfill that request.
I’m a relatively new pastor, so doing this service project in Puyallup, where my church is, made it much more personal and impactful.
After watching Tyler Long, Washington Conference evangelist, successfully offer to pay for gas for a few families, I was excited and nervous for my turn. I walked up to a car and asked if I could pay for their gas, soon walking away discouraged that they had turned me down. I wondered if because I looked so young they didn’t trust me and thought there was a catch.
I prayed fervently for a car to pull up with people who needed some encouragement. Since it was Father’s Day, we looked for cars with fathers and their families. Not too long after my quick prayer, a father and son drove up and were overjoyed that I offered to pay for their gas. They were Christians too and said they were going to pass the idea on to their church so they could continue spreading God’s love.
Another beat up car pulled up with two tired looking people. When I paid for their gas, they couldn’t contain their excitement and awe that someone would do something so kind for them. They explained how they had been working hard all day and could use some extra encouragement. They even wanted to visit our church.
Another car pulled up with a father, mother and daughter in the back seat. They accepted my offer, and we got to talking while the gas pumped. They opened up about having lost their young child a few years earlier, and the journey God led them on in the process. Her name had been Hope, and they marveled at how God taught them to hope through her tiny life. They had recently been baptized, and I was able to pray with them and encourage them on their journey with Christ.
The most incredible miracle of all happened in my wallet during our service day. I handed out business card after business card, later realizing I’d handed out far more than I had put in my wallet at the beginning of the day.
God clearly had a plan for each one of the people we met, and I pray we helped plant a seed that He will grow into a powerful tree for His kingdom.
