I have been driving around with the Blessing Bags from church in my backseat, ready to pass out to whomever God places in my path that needs the basic necessities of hygiene, food and water. Last week, I stopped to get gas at a downtown Columbia gas station during the afternoon rush hour and a stranger quickly came out of no where and started walking towards me and my kids. My first gut instinct was to jump in the car and lock the doors to protect us. It was a “fight or flight” response which came from fear. And while I did protect my kids first by placing them in the car, the Spirit reminded me that this was a unique moment to share Jesus’ love with this man, and put fear aside for a second. The man wanted money and I didn’t have any, but I gave him a Blessing Bag and said God bless you. I will never know how this will impact this man or if he needed these items or not, but the seed was planted in his mind and heart that God loves him. I am very thankful too that we were safe while serving God at this very busy gas station. After this happened I read this in my devotional and it spoke to this experience: “Fear of the stranger, while a natural impulse for self-preservation, keeps us from risking true love of neighbor. “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?” Matthew 5:43-47