My family and I moved recently and after we unpacked, we had quite the pile of empty moving boxes.

I decided to list the excess boxes on Facebook Marketplace, and after a few days, a lady reached out to me telling me she wanted to pick them up in the next day or so. Seems normal, right? Except this lady planned on driving 40 minutes for a truck load of boxes, because her family was heading to Florida in a few weeks. That is a long drive for a mere pile of boxes, or so I thought.

I was in the kitchen putting dishes away a few minutes before the lady arrived and remember thinking, “It is so strange someone would want to drive so far to pick up our moving boxes. She will probably spend as much in gas as she would just buying new boxes…”

Nevertheless, when she arrived, I showed her the boxes and talked with her briefly. It didn’t take long before I heard the Lord tell me He had brought her to me on purpose and wanted me to encourage her. So, as each moment was given, I was able to speak life and encouragement into this lady’s life as I watched her demeanor quickly change to joy.  In the middle of our conversation, the Lord nudged me to pray for her, so at the first opportunity, I asked if I could pray for her. Thankfully, she was willing, and I was able to pray exactly as I heard the Lord speaking over her. I remember praying peace in her life in the midst of what felt to me like a heavy, dark, suffocating season she was going through. The prayer was personal, affirming, and uplifting.

She cried.

I cried.

We hugged.

The next day, I received a text message from my new friend telling me how much she had dwelled on the words the Lord had spoken through me. She was in awe that someone she had never met could speak so accurately about her life and the circumstances she had been dealing with.

She said,  “During our prayer, I can’t even begin to describe the feeling of the weight being lifted… I felt like I could breathe… for the first time in a long time.”

After receiving her text message, I sat in awe of God’s unending wisdom and creativity. He took the random task of disposing boxes and turned it into a life-transforming moment. He reached down from Heaven and touched the heart of a woman who desperately needed His love, removed her heavy burden and replaced it with the freedom that only He can give… right there in my new home’s garage.

With each testimony the Lord allows me to be a part of, I realize a little more just how unpredictable and creative He is in the way He loves others. It has brought new meaning and perspective into my daily routine. He has shown me that each minute can be spent in glorious adventure with Him if I am willing to allow it to occur; each person I meet provides a new opportunity for me to be His hands and feet.

God is constantly preparing the hearts and souls of others and is eagerly searching for a son or daughter willing to step up and be the vessel for Him to use. I was humbled to know that He sent this incredible lady to me to carry out the purpose He had planned, but I was also saddened because what if no one closer was willing?  What if this lady had to drive 40 minutes to be loved on by the Father because my brothers and sisters in her area were too complacent? Too hesitant? Too lazy to do more outside of the church walls?

I hope that is not the reason.

I hope that is never the reason.