Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”   John 13:35

The dimness of the emergency flashers told me the car had been on the roadside for a while. “Do you need help?” I asked.  “Yes,” the driver said, as he helped his wife into my vehicle. Both of them were deaf. I asked if I could take them to a phone or service station. “No, thank you. Just take us home,” he replied. Home was 35 miles past my house. I wanted to help them, but this seemed a bit much. I searched for a way out but found none.  I reluctantly asked, “Would you like to stop to eat something?”  “No, thank you; but we could use a restroom.”  When we were on our way to their house, I asked how long they had been stranded. “Three or four hours,” he said. I shook my head in disbelief.

“How long did you plan on staying there?” I asked.

He replied, “Until our prayers were answered.” His response of faith silenced and humbled me.  We can often easily identify those God has sent as answers to our prayers. But how often have we been God’s answer for someone else? Even when we don’t want to be inconvenienced, even when we are reluctant, God’s grace expressed through our actions can work wonders.

Father, we thank you for answering our prayers through others. Help us to be available to you when someone near us is in need. Amen.