And this happened...

The response from yesterday's post was pretty phenomenal. A friend of mine said it was like "you rang a bell and shouted YOU ARE NOT ALONE!" That thought resonated with me for the rest of the day. Not only was I discovering I was in good company, others were also discovering they weren't the only ones who felt that way. I gotta tell you...it was inspiring.

I was still thinking of the whole "ring your bell" thing when I got off work. I've been craving spaghetti for three weeks and had decided tonight was the night. For some odd reason, I got the urge to go to the Kroger closest to my work instead of the one closest to my home but I really didn't think through why...one is just as good as the other.

I pulled into Kroger parking lot and as I walked toward the door my eyes were drawn to an elderly woman sitting on the bench, talking on her phone, and crying. I immediately knew what I needed to do but I didn't want to interrupt her while she was on the phone. It came as no surprise to see her hang up just as I stepped on the sidewalk.

So I walked up to her. I asked her if I could help. She said all she needed was prayer. I told her I would definitely be praying for her and if it was okay, I'd like to pray with her now. She said "absolutely" and so I did. I spent about ten minutes with the lady, praying for her, letting her know she is not alone, just talking. And then I went into the store and bought dinner for my family. When I came back out, she was gone.

Ring your bell guys. Shout from the top of your lungs "You are not alone!"

And for the ones who need to hear it...listen...some of the bells probably clang, some of them tinkle, some of them resonate...but they are ringing so you know...we're here.