Divine Appointment?

I was idly noticing as we went into Walmart how varied the dress was among the customers.  One woman who just came out was dressed to the nines, while others couldn't have been more casual (to put it mildly).  Then I saw an older woman striding briskly along in a coordinated cropped pants outfit and thought how attractive she looked. 

We were only in the store a few minutes, and when we came out, I saw the same lady, windblown and harried looking, rushing in and out between the rows of parked vehicles.  "Howard, that lady can't find her car!" I nudged my husband.  "Say something to her!" 

"How are you, Ma'am?" he spoke as we approached her, to which she replied, running her hand distractedly through her short, white bob, "Not very good right now.  I can't find my car!"  She said she thought she remembered parking it right there.  I could thoroughly sympathize, as that had happened to us many times.

"What color is it?  We'll help you find it," my husband  assured her.  She told us it was a silver Buick, and it seemed every other car in the parking lot was silver.  After a few minutes, he asked if she could sound her car alarm on her key holder.  By this time we were several rows over, and about the time the alarm sounded, she spotted it.  Evidently it had been too far away to connect before.  She thanked us and hurried across the parking lot toward it.

My heart went out to the woman, imagining the panic and confusion she must have felt.  When I thought about it later, I realized we were at the right place at the right time once again.  (One day last summer I had helped a lost child wandering confused outside Walmart  find her grandmother.)  How strange that today we would walk into the store, go directly to the items we wanted, and go through the check-out, all  in 10 minutes or less?  I don't think I have ever come out of  Walmart in less than half an hour!

And why was I taking note of people I observed as we went in?  Normally, I might not even notice, intent on my shopping purposes.  Thankfully, no unscrupulous person took advantage of the senior citizen in her distress, thinking her an easy prey with car keys to a Buick in her hand.  One can only imagine a different scenario.  Evidently, the lady had gone into one entrance of the store and came out the other exit (we've done that, too!).

I believe the Holy Spirit gives us these nudges, makes us alert at the right time, and uses us to be a neighbor to a total stranger.