Angel at the Checkout Counter
by Sandie Oliver

Several years ago I was a single mom working part time and trying to make ends meet while attending college fulltime. One day I was in the grocery store checkout line putting my meager groceries on the belt. I was near tears wondering how this food would stretch for a week for my six-year-old son and me. I prayed to the Lord asking for something good to happen soon because I just couldn't seem to scrape together enough cash to support us. Graduation was still six months away but I was thinking of dropping out to earn more money. I told the Lord that I probably had to quit school.

There was a woman in line ahead of me, but I didn't look too closely at her. She paid her bill, and started to walk away. I happened to look down at my shoes, and saw a $20 bill lying right alongside my shoe! It had to be that woman's, I thought, and the exit was a distance away--I could catch her! I looked up to call to her. There was no one there. In mere seconds, she had vanished. Even if she had run, she couldn't have gotten to the exit that fast. I picked up the money. The cashier didn't notice any of this; it was business as usual for her.

I knew what had happened. And angel had been sent to show me that I wasn't alone. Sure, $20 isn't a lot, but it made me realize that I couldn't quit college--I had asked the Lord for something good to happen so that I WOULDN'T quit. It was tough, but I graduated, and now have an excellent job, good benefits and the satisfaction of working in a hospital, helping the sick and injured recover. Thank you, Lord!