September 1 - Anonymous

Please forgive me in advance for the length of this story, but like most noteworthy events of my life, it's a bit complicated and requires some backstory.

In January of 2021, the LORD blessed me immensely with a new second job that paid almost twice what my original day job was paying. While working both jobs, I was able to get out of debt, pay off my car and student loans, get caught up on my bills, and start giving a proper offering at church. I was even able to put away a decent amount of savings and bless others financially as I had been blessed in the past.

When all my bills were caught up, I decided to treat myself to a ticket to a popular comedy artist's concert tour when he appeared in Lancaster, PA in August 2022 (it wasn't the closest, but at the time of my purchase, it was the only venue that didn't require COVID vaccination). I enjoyed the experience so much, I splurged on another ticket to the same artist's next-closest appearance in Philadelphia in October 2022 (by then, their vaccination requirements had been lifted). I was able to snag the very last ticket available for this particular event (this is important later).

Unfortunately, the wonderful new second job that had paid so well had slowed down, and at the beginning of October, I was let go (thankfully, I still have my day job). I instantly regretted my foolish purchases of these tickets, especially the second one because it was non-refundable. So I prayed, "LORD, please forgive me my foolishness, especially for not seeking You in these decisions. Please use this experience for Your purposes and to Your glory somehow."

The day of the event, I drove into Philly, and about 20 minutes from the venue, I needed to use the bathroom, so I pulled into a chicken restaurant. When I came out of the bathroom, I went to buy something to eat, and was approached by a homeless man who asked me if I could buy him something to eat as well. I was more than glad to do so, so I told him to tell the cashier what he wanted, and I paid for his meal along with my own.

When I arrived at the venue, there was a line of people waiting to be admitted, so I got on it, and the woman in front of me struck up a conversation with me about the artist. She was very friendly, and I enjoyed chatting with her until it was time to go inside. When I got to my seat, it turned out I was seated next to this same woman! She had also arrived by herself, so we kept each other company and enjoyed the show together (it's much more fun when you're with someone who enjoys it as much as you do, so that was a huge blessing for me).

When the show ended, she realized she had missed the last train to her destination, which I thought was New York City, which is where she said she was from. She told me no, she was spending that night and the weekend at her sister's house. Her sister lives literally 6 minutes from my home! She feared she'd have to pay for a rideshare, but I offered to drive her there myself. She was floored by the offer and readily took me up on it. It was about an hour's drive, and we chatted more about the artist and each other on the trip. She couldn't believe it when I showed her on my GPS that yes, my home is around the corner from her sister's! I told her that I promised GOD that if He let me have a decent car and the money to keep it running, I would use it to help people whenever I could, and I was super-happy to help her that night.

My only regret is, I didn't share the Gospel with either person, but I'm grateful the LORD used me to help out two different people that day, and I pray that somehow, seeds were planted for His glory and their salvation.