Gas Pumps and God Whispers

I was just finishing getting gas in our Kia Telluride yesterday at King Soopers when a car pulled up a few feet away.

“Excuse me, ma’am? Could I ask you a favor?” A older Black man sat in the drivers seat of a beat up brown and beige sedan looking hopefully at me.

I glanced around uncertainly. “Uh sure.”

“Could you buy me some gas? I’ve been living out of my car and I got a job at Amazon that starts tomorrow.”

And my heart whispered Trust this man.

“Yes I’ll get you some gas.” I followed him to the pump opposite mine and put in my credit card. I noted that despite the condition of his car, he was well-dressed and put together.

“How long have you been living in your car?” I grab the pump and hand it to him.

“Seven months.” He said it plainly, as a fact, with no shame.

“I got a job that starts tomorrow but I won’t get paid for three weeks. I found a place that will let me live for three weeks – its under the table, nothing illegal, they’re just doing me a favor – but I have to come up with $80 by tonight. I haven’t taken a shower in weeks.”

“I think there are places that will let you take a shower. What about the downtown YMCA?”

“They’ll charge me $10.”

“Oh. I would give you cash for that if I had it, but I’m sorry. I don’t have any. What’s your name?”

“James.”

“Well, James, it was nice to meet you.” I grab the receipt, wave and head back to my car.

James walks back to another man getting gas at the pump behind me. I glance in my rearview mirror and see them talking.

A minute later someone’s tapping the window. “Ma’am? I’m so grateful for the gas. I’m not one to ask for more like this, but is there any way you could go to an ATM and get me the $80? I have to have it by tonight. and I don’t know where I’m gonna get it.”

Again my heart whispered to me. Whatever you do for the least of these…

I hesitate a minute longer, trying to figure out if I’m being played, and then I suddenly decide I don’t care.

“Yes I can go to King Soopers and get you the $80.”

“Thank you so much, ma’am. I’ll follow you and wait for you there.” James heads back to his car.

We drive to King Soopers and I head inside. I ask a guy bagging groceries if they have an ATM, and he shakes his head. I grab a pack of gum, go through the self checkout and get $90 cash out.

I walk out, hand it to James through his open passenger window and say “Here you go. Here’s $80 for your place to live and $10 for your shower. Good luck with your job. When you get back on your feet, do something kind for someone.”

“I surely will, ma’am. God bless you.” He starts the car and drives away.

I head back to my car wondering whether I was just scammed, but feeling strangely, unexpectedly joy-filled. I will likely never see James again. I won’t know where he drove after he left. I won’t know if he drove around the corner to the next gas station and did the whole thing again or if I just helped change the trajectory of his life. I’ll never know.

All I know is that I listened to the whisper of my heart today.

Later, when I was walking home from school with the kids and I told them about what happened with James, Cara grabbed my arm with shining eyes and said “Awww I love you, Mom!” And Tyce just grinned.

I’ve heard that in parenting things are caught, not taught. If my giving $90 to a random stranger just because he asks for it teaches my kids what it means to be generous and sensitive to the whispers of their own hearts, it’s worth every penny.