You just never know how or where God is going to present the opportunity to bless someone! Certainly, Randy probably wasn’t expecting to bless someone in the parking lot of a grocery store, but that’s exactly where this blessing began!
What started out as an evening of high school football ended up being much, much more.
I was out of town with a friend for a couple of days at a sewing class when Randy gives me a call to “introduce” me to a new friend he’d met (life with Randy is always an adventure, so I’m rarely surprised anymore when he does this sort of thing!). He told me to say “hi” to Leslie, which I did, and they proceed to tell me the story of how they met. Leslie’s version will be posted below, but from Randy’s perspective, he was coming back home from unsuccessfully trying to find a place to park at the football game, when he decided to stop in at the grocery store to grab a couple of things. As he was coming out, a young woman approached him and asked him to help her get her truck started. They tried, but were unable to get it running, so he had offered to take her to where she was staying and go back in the morning to try again. Knowing she would probably feel very uncomfortable with this arrangement, he almost immediately got me on the phone to help alleviate the awkwardness.
Leslie was in town for a few days of rest and recuperation after a busy season in her life. She was staying at a hotel in our town and had gone to eat when her truck broke down on her. Not the best way to start your restful weekend! She had anxiously waited about 20 minutes to approach someone to help her with her truck. When she saw Randy getting into his truck, she figured he would be a good one to ask! She had no idea what she was getting into!!!
God had a divine plan in mind for these two meeting.
The next morning, Randy went by and picked up Leslie and they called me to tell me that they were on their way to Mansfield to pick up a “new” car for her. The news did not surprise me in the least, but I’m sure her head was swimming! When I got home that evening, Leslie came over to our house to meet me (and the dogs!), and to show me the car. The next day, she came back over and hung out with us a while longer, and we took her to eat at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants, before she had to head back to her life in Ft. Worth the next day.
We are so fortunate that God has given us the ability and desire to bless others. But WE are the ones being blessed! Leslie is a beautiful young woman, and we are so grateful for the opportunity to meet her and bless her with a dependable vehicle. Fortunately, she allowed us to bless her and love on her beyond just getting her a car – she continues to keep in contact with us, which we love.
Now, for Leslie’s perspective:
I was sitting at the table preparing to eat alone, while thoughts raced through my mind about the situation at hand. And I can only imagine: the throb of worry would have pierced my side, the sting of concern would have clogged my throat, the stench of doubt would have plagued my appetite, causing frustration to seize the moment. However, there was a divine working long before I stepped foot into this restaurant; where a young family invited me to sit with them, unknowingly saving me from the overwhelming thoughts that sought to interrupt my moment. A moment, that I thought, I alone had planned, based on a mental health break that I knew I needed. That I thought I needed. But that was starting to seem to not be worth it. That made me wonder if by coming here I was just adding triggers to it. Had I stepped outside of boundaries. Making choices without responsibly seeing them through. My whole life I had felt that I have made choices without responsibly seeing them through.
So here I was.
About an hour away from home and my truck had broken down. And I had the audacity to leave it in the grocery store parking lot and go about business as if nothing was wrong. My truck wouldn’t start probably 2-3 times before even coming to Granbury this particular weekend. The weekend before, I’d just performed in my first one woman show, after spending about six months physically, mentally, and spiritually writing and preparing for it. I was exhausted after a three day run of the stage play. I had taken on the roles of these characters and in its midst realized, that my entire life had reflected the roles of these characters. So I was emotionally drained and sought nothing more than to just get away. If only for a moment.
What I have been reassured of, is that the spirit of God is so in tune with who we are, that long before we even seek to do something that brings truth, hope, light, and life to the fulfilment of creation, our well-being is looked out for. Even when we miss a beat. Make mistakes. Choose people and/or places that don’t serve our best interest. The move of God continuously looks out for our every beat.
After about six hours of my truck sitting in Brookshires parking lot. I walked back after dinner with the lovely family and figured I’d take my best friends advice and ask someone to help me try to jump the truck. It took me twenty minutes to muster up the courage to do so. What I thought, I alone, was having to do.
But, God!
The man that I asked was a seminary graduate and retired pastor. Mr. Randy Weeaks. I am currently in seminary so conversation started there. The very God that led us both to seminary, is the very God who started that conversation and who is still in the midst of that conversation over a month later. For the rest of my life, this encounter will be a part of a conversation. About how awe striking and breathtakingly amazing God is and works.
Within 24 hours of when my truck broke down, Mr Randy Weeaks, his amazing wife and the board of Why Not Bless, responded to a call from God. They bought me car. A 2011 Ford Fusion. I had been driving a 1995 Ford Pick-Up truck for the past seven years with no AC. I shed tears even now thinking about that weekend and what I thought would be a simple get away. I came back home with not just a car, but an eye opening experience about the realness of God, new family (because the Weeaks are now fam), and a new perspective on service and gifting for the glory of God.
Thank you, Why Not Bless! I am truly blessed! To God be the Glory!
If you would like to be a part of how God is blessing others through Why Not Bless, we would be honored if you would consider donating financially. There is a Donate button on this blog, as well as on our Facebook page. Just know that 100% of your donation goes to bless others and is tax deductible. We hope this post has encouraged you to be a blessing to those that God brings along your way!