From Eileen Elsdon -- I Found Her!

It all started about 3 weeks ago, I was ready for church early so I decided it would be nice to relax at Forza over a cup of coffee, as I drove through the Wal-Mart parking lot, there was a newer car with plastic bags over the windows other than the frontend of the car being damaged it looked like a very nice car. I wondered if someone could be sleeping in the car. I decided to go into Wal-Mart a pick up a few items before heading for church, when I came out there she was! This sweet woman folding up the bags that covered her windows, she was sleeping in her car! …my heart broke and I knew she was my Pointe Project.

Unfortunately I didn’t have my packet with me (lesson 1- keep you packet in your car) so I called my daughter Jen and asked her to bring it to me. I thought it best to give gift cards rather than cash and decided after church I would pick up the cards and deliver them. I sat in church that morning resisting the urge to leave in the middle of service and go get the cards to deliver (did I say “resist”…maybe I should have said “rebel”…lesson 2 act on the prompting of the Holy Spirit) by the time I returned, she was gone.

I have driven through all the parking lots I could think many times over the past few weeks, the YMCA (someone told me they heard she showered there), both Wal-Marts, the mall, praying that God would put her in my path again.

I was on vacation this week so I decided I would try one more time I pulled into Wal-Mart parking lot at 6:45 am and there she was! Praise God for giving me a second chance to meet her! I ran up to Wendy’s and grabbed 2 cups of coffee and 2 breakfast sandwiches and then went back and waited for her to come out of her car. I have felt all along that I didn’t just want to give her the gift but I wanted to have the chance to talk to her and hear her story.
When she came out of her car I went up a and wished her good morning and told her I had seen her a few weeks ago and she had been on my heart ever since. I told her I wanted to bring her a warm breakfast and a small gift (In the bag with her breakfast I had placed 3 gift cards one for McDonalds, one for Target, and one fuel card for Safeway, along with the Pointe Project card), her response was overwhelming…she gave ME a hug and assured me she was okay. She was so grateful to Wal-Mart for allowing her to sleep in their parking lot (she has been sleeping in her car for 6 months). She said she is between homes and is saving her money to start her own business, and assured me she has been “God-based” for 32 years. She didn’t have time to talk much because she was on her way to an appointment in Tacoma but invited me back to talk another time.

I didn’t get to see her open the bag but I pray that it blessed her day as much as she blessed mine. I thought that I was only there to allow God to bless this woman through my obedience, but it was I who received the blessing! This woman taught me a lot about gratitude, determination, and humility. Had I ventured to assume what her “story” might be I probably would have come up with something completely different. It reminds me that it is not my place to judge others, but only to love them as Christ loves them. I plan to go back again and take her to dinner of coffee another time. Praise God for second chances!

WANT TO HELP? One thing she did share with me was that she needed to get her car fixed (remember the front end damage), she did not have insurance and the damage to her car is extensive. I’m sure that it would be too much to repair the car completely ($10,000 she said) but her radiator is leaking and she needs to put water into it every 20-30 minutes. If you know of someone that could help get her car operational let me know.