The writing prompt for Sunday Scribblings this week is "Fellow Travelers". Through out my traveling, I have met some very interesting people, enough people to fill a book. However, one woman quickly comes to my mind - the woman at the travel plaza. (Travel plazas are service centers along the interstate turnpikes with restaurants, restrooms, and gasoline pumps.)About 8 years ago, our family made a major move to the East Coast. We drove 3000 miles to a home and town that we had never seen. It was adventurous, but also scary. Moving is expensive and we didn't have much money. So, we planned to keep the travel expenses as low as possible. To save on food and lodging costs, we decided to drive straight through sleeping in the car and buying our food at grocery stores. However, we didn't understand the reality of the facilities available along the turnpikes. There aren't very many towns along the interstates. Instead, motorists stop at travel plazas for food and gas. The prices at travel plazas were higher then we had expected to pay. This added much stress to our trip.
I remember being in a travel plaza in Pennsylvania. My husband and I were anxiously discussing which fast food we should buy for our family. We walked between the different menu boards in the food court, comparing prices. Well, there was a woman who was watching us. She came up to me and handed me $20. She said that she was traveling with a group of women from her church. She noticed the size of our family and knew that traveling could be expensive. She felt like God wanted her to come offer this money to us. I quietly said a thank you. Then she smiled and rushed away. I stood there with my mouth hanging open. Nothing like that had ever happed to me before. Hoping to thank her again, I looked around the crowded room. But, she was already gone.
So, I'd like to express my appreciation to this woman. I'll probably never know your name or see you again. God prompted you to do something and you obeyed Him. You showed my family kindness, in a respectful way. You made a positive impact on me that will effect the rest of my life.
Some may call this a random act of kindness. Some will call this Christian charity. I call it a message from God. He was reminding me that I didn't need to worry about our current situation or the ones we may face in the future. God would always provide for my family.
