I’m going to share something a little personal here…as opposed to the non-personal approach I usually take. Anyway, this is one of those stories that some close friends said I should share. This “mistake” seemed to be a message that some of you may need to hear.

So, there I was, minding my own business when my phone rings. On the other end was an automated system wanting me to verify my credit card information before the call could continue. Needless to say, I hung up and called my credit card company. Sure enough, it was them trying to reach me. Apparently, something had gotten crossed and they hadn’t received my payment.

After several minutes of looking through the records, the lady on the other end of the line found the problem. She quickly corrected the situation and apologized for the confusion. So far, this is just one of those mistakes that happen and we have to deal with in our lives. Well, then we took a turn for the incredible.

When the lady first answered, she mentioned she was in a call center in South Dakota. As she was about to end the call, my mouth blurted out, “Do you ride?” To which she replied, “Yes, we do. In fact, my husband and I will finally get to go to Sturgis for the first time this year.” To this, I replied, “Are you a Christian?” And again, the answer was, “Yes.” So, being the salesman I am, I asked, “Do you wear Christian du rags?” “Well,” she started, “I would, but we can’t find any around here. My husband and I had seen one in a shop, but when we went back for it, there were just skulls and Harley Davidson ones. Why, do you know of a website or something?”

This just made my job way too easy. “Well, as a matter of fact, I do.” Now, you’re probably thinking this is some kind of ad for Christian du rags…and, you’d be wrong. This is a story of trust and obedience. I went on to tell that lady if she’d give me her address, I would send her a postcard with a discount code on it for our website. (Yes, if you send us an email, I’ll give you a discount code, too.) She then explained that company policy didn’t allow them to do that. So, I said, “You have our email on the screen in front of you, right? So, just write down the last part of it and that is our website. Later on, use the contact us portion to send it…IF you feel comfortable doing so.”

Well, the next thing I know is an email drops in from this lady’s cell phone with her contact information. Knowing the trust she had placed in me by giving that information, I quickly got a postcard ready to send. And then, that gnawing sensation came over me, “send a book, send a book.” So, I packaged up one of our new books, WITH ARMS WIDE OPEN, and sent it along with the discount code.

A quick side story here. For those of you who don’t know what we do, my wife and I along with our kids set up at festivals and flea markets across Northern Louisiana and Southern Arkansas. We not only sell jewelry and such, but we also spread the Gospel of Jesus to those who don’t go to Church. And, sometimes, we give away a book or two just to let people have a taste of what God has done in our lives.

So anyway, I sent the book off as I felt led to do. That night, we received an order from that woman. She received the books a few days later completely unaware we had sent them. She then messaged us back on Facebook to share her story with us.

Even though she is about to go to Sturgis with a group of Christian Bikers, her and her family have been going through some tough times medically. Any of you who have children know that a sick child is one of the most heartbreaking things a parent can deal with. This lady has definitely had her hands full from the story she shared.

But, at the end of it, she thanked us for sending those words. For a complete stranger to reach out to her without even knowing their situation, brought that sense of awe and comfort that only the Good Lord can bring. That simple gesture restored her faith in humanity and gave her comfort that God is watching over them.

I shared this story because we never know how our simple actions will affect others. Instead of yelling at the woman who answered the phone that day, I explained what was going on. The lady on the other end fixed it, which brightened my day. By sharing a few moments with her, I made her day a little less heavy.

God doesn’t make mistakes. Although we feel like we’re the victims of circumstance all too often, we need to keep our composure and continue praising God. He knows what He’s doing. Sometimes, we just need to stop trying to drive and hang on for the ride.

Hopefully, this story has lifted your spirits. Better yet, I pray this story impacts your life for the better. May God bless you and keep you in all that you do in His name. Remember, the fastest way up is to kneel down. And, you’re right; I didn’t give you the website address, because this isn’t an advertisement.