A few years ago my husband and I took the kids on vacation and one of the places we camped was Colorado National Monument. It's on top of a mesa and the road to the top can be tough on a car (if you've got one of "those cars")

We had a conversion van and I took advantage of the space and packed everything (including a kitchen sink - a dry sink that was made to be in the "way back"). The evening before, we had gone to a ranger talk and forgotten a flashlight so somebody walked along with us to lend us their light. One our way down out of the park, I was talking to the kids about how God puts people in our path to help us out.

But just as important - even more important - is that God will put us in the path of other people that He wants us to help in His name. And he did...

As God's providence would have it, in the middle of this talk we passed a couple with a couple of kids, in a small car with steam coming out of the radiator. We stopped and discovered that they really weren't prepared for the trip; staying in a hotel and just driving up for the day. I "happened" to have a gallon of engine coolant in the van and we always had bottled water. While the owner of the overheated car put in the coolant, I was telling them what I was just telling the kids - about how God puts people in our path to help in His name.

We told them that God is our help, our savior and He expects us to put "feet to that". It was right after that that the car was ready to go and they went on their way.

I don't know why our paths crossed; if I planted the seed of the Gospel to non-believers, or if they were believers who needed encouragement from God, or if the moment happened as an object lesson to my kids. What I do know is that they remember it.

July 1 of this year, my kids went to a concert downtown. It was just before midnight when they were done so I drove to get them. As I pulled up, a young woman I didn't know came with them and Tom told me that her ride left without her, was it okay if we could give her a ride. Of course!

She apologized, it was late and we didn't know her; she was being a pain, etc.

I told her that I believed that God puts us in the path of people who need help, so that we can help them in His name. She looked straight at me and told me that she didn't believe in God; she guessed that she worships Satan. We talked for about five minutes - about God the Creator, the Savior. I told her that if Satan were in charge of the world, we'd see a lot more evil than we do. In that short time, we got to her home - I didn't have time to "give the whole Gospel" - but I know I planted a seed.

My kids remembered that car on the mesa and related it to this girl - another "teachable moment".