God Moments: We Ran out of Gas

This is a “God moment”  story about what happened when I asked God to help me help others…

This article has been updated and is an adaptation from a story in 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life. This unique book was written by Lacy Ngo, a dietitian nationally recognized as a top expert in faith-based mindfulness and evidence-based nutrition. She shares the exact steps that, based on science, produce the most dramatic health and weight loss success in her book, 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life. This book is like nothing you have ever seen before. It combines faith and science. Both are crucial when it comes to producing real change because real change involves the mind, body, and spirit. This is an adaption from a story in the book, 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life.

18 weeks to a healthier, happier, more purposeful life cover

Just a Normal Drive to Work

Class shouldn’t be too long tonight.” I said as I was leaving to teach nutrition to a group of college freshman. I figured I would be home shortly since this was the first class of the semester. I usually just go over the syllabus and class expectation on the first day.

As I was driving to work, I noticed a policeman carrying a gas canister to a car stopped on the side of the road. I thought to myself, ‘oh that’s nice. That driver must have run out of gas, and the policeman brought a canister of gas to the stranded driver.

God Moments: We Ran Out of Gas

The Quick Prayer

This made my mind wonder as it often does. I began to wonder how often I was too busy to notice others in need of some help or assistance on the road or in a store. I’m not sure why, but I decided to pray a very specific prayer. I prayed, “God, if I pass by someone on the side of the road who has run out of gas, please help me notice, AND help me do the right thing.” Then I went to teach my students. As predicted, my class was short. I was glad since I had lots to do at home. So I jumped in my car and headed home…

She Said “We Ran Out of Gas.”

On the way home from class that evening, I kid you not, I see a car on the side of the road! A mother and her middle school-aged son were standing beside the car.

I am going to tell you the truth even though I am embarrassed. My first thought was ‘Are you kidding me? Am I really suppose to stop NOW?!’ What is the likelihood that I would pass by a car on the side of the road right after saying that prayer?’ But I HAD just prayed to God about this very thing. I did ask God to help me notice others in need. Well, I noticed, and now I had to choose to do the right thing. So I pulled over and asked, “Are y’all okay? Do y’all need anything?” (I’m from South Carolina, so you will find I say y’all…a lot). Do you know what the mother said? She said, “We ran out of gas.”

Is that not something! How often is someone stuck on the side of the road because they specifically ran out of gas? This family’s car battery wasn’t dead, and their car wasn’t broken down for another reason. No, this family was not stuck on the side of the road because of any of these more common issues. I asked God to help me notice if someone ever runs out of gas, and here in front of me is this mother and son standing with a car WITH NO GAS!

God moments, answered prayers, helping others, RAK, random act of kindness, inspiring God stories
When God answers our prayer

Filling Their Tank and Filling My Heart

I responded, “Okay, hold on. I will get ya’ some. I’ll be right back.”

I don’t know why I prayed such a specific prayer; maybe I thought that I wouldn’t be much help if the car trouble was much more than an empty gas tank. For whatever reason, I prayed, “Please help me notice and stop when someone runs out of gas,” and the NEXT time I drove, I passed by someone who had run out of gas!

Did God know these people were going to need gas at this time? Did God find a way to encourage me to stop for this family? I don’t know, and I don’t even understand. I just know it happened, and I still remember the look of shocked appreciation on that middle school child’s face when I came back with a canister of gas. Their thankful faces, and God’s answer to my prayer filled my heart that day. As I filled the tank, my heart was filling up too.

Your God Moments

I am so thankful God leads me because my decisions would look very different without God.

Do you have any God Moments you would like to share? I always love to hear how God is working in our lives. Please share your stories in the comments. If you enjoyed these posts, and would like to be notified when a new one is posted, please follow “Mindfulness in Faith and Food.” When you follow mindfulness in faith and food, you will get a free printable Mindful Planner.

You May Also Like

I love journaling! This is one of my favorite ways to learn, grow, and relax. Here are a few awesome prayer journals:

(Click on the journal for more details.)

More God Moments:

  1. God Moments: Did that Just Happen?

2. God Moments: Choosing the Same Picture.

3. God Moments: I Was So Afraid

4. God Moments: We Prayed and Then This Happened

5. God Moments: God Follows Through

What Happend after I prayed "God Help Me Help Others"
What Happend after I prayed “God Help Me Help Others”

Copyright © 2017 Mindfulness in Faith and Food.

You are free to retain any and all content here for personal use, but need permission to use it anywhere else on the internet.

God Moment: We Prayed and Then This Happened!

This article has been updated and is an adaptation from a story in 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life. This unique book was written by Lacy Ngo, a dietitian nationally recognized as a top expert in faith-based mindfulness and evidence-based nutrition. She shares the exact steps that, based on science, produce the most dramatic health and weight loss success in her book, 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life. This book is like nothing you have ever seen before. It combines faith and science. Both are crucial when it comes to producing real change because real change involves the mind, body, and spirit. This is an adaption from a story in the book, 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life.

18 weeks to a healthier, happier, more purposeful life cover

Disclosure: This site may provide affiliate links (See full disclosure)

The Miscariage… Then My Son Was Born

In 2009, my beautiful little boy was born.  Just over a year earlier, I had just had a miscarriage.  My body held on to this little baby for 3 months before the miscarriage. I still have my only picture via an ultrasound of my first little baby, and I can still remember seeing the little heartbeat on the ultrasound. I will always love that first baby, and as you can imagine, I was over the moon to find out I was pregnant again so soon after with my son.

The delivery of my son went well. He was a healthy baby except for a minor hydrocele.  The doctors said this was not unusual and that the hydrocele usually goes away before the age of one.  However, if the hydrocele did not go away by the time my son was one, then; my son may need a minor surgery, especially if the hydrocele turns into a hernia.

What in the World was Happening?

A year went by, and before we knew it, we were celebrating my little boy’s first birthday. Soon after my son’s birthday, I noticed a little redness when I was changing my son’s diaper.  Knowing about the hydrocele, I decided to get him checked out.  We took him to the doctor one evening. To my surprise, the doctor recommended that we go straight to the urologist. It was now after 5:00 pm, and the doctor was going to meet us at his already closed office.   I started thinking the worst.  On the way to the urologist, my son suddenly projectile vomited all over the car, car seat, and me.  I then became extremely worried.  What in world was happening?

The urologist concluded that my son did have a hernia and did need surgery, but thankfully, this was not an emergency.  The surgery could be scheduled for a later date.  During the procedure, my son would be put to sleep for a couple of hours, and then, he would go home the same day of the surgery.

Then He Simply Said “Hey”

Whew, crisis obverted,…but then I began to worry.  My logical mind, knew this was a minor surgery, but the protective mother began to panic as the day approached.  I had heard of babies having bad reactions to anesthesia, and by the night before the surgery, I was extremely stressed.

Although, I was nervous, I did our normal bedtime routine just as I always do.  First, I laid my son on the changing table to change his diaper and put on his pajamas.  Then, as usual, I bowed my head and said a prayer while he was still lying on the changing table.

That night I said a special prayer, asking God to please PLEASE help us know He is here with us and will be RIGHT HERE WITH US during the surgery.  I really, REALLY needed reassurance that God was with us. Then, I picked up my son and carried him to the rocking chair so that we could read our bedtime stories.   He was looking at me and smiling as we went to the chair. Then his gaze shifted to the ceiling. He suddenly smiled and said, “hey” like he was greeting someone as he looked straight up at one spot on the ceiling.   I was puzzled and curiously asked, “Who are you saying hey to?”  My son simply replied, “God.”

Bring on Those Chills

Chills ran up my arm.  For one, I bow my head when we pray, but my son looked up.  My son was not even two years old at the time. I don’t know how my son knew that God was there, and I am not sure how my one year old knew that he could just say “hey” to God anytime. Did my one year old son feel that God is with us all the time? My mouth dropped open as I slowly made my way to the rocking chair. I could barely move, and I could barely focus on the book I was reading to my son. In awe, I asked myself, “what… just… happened!” I do know that I prayed for God to help us know that He is here, and God did!  The surgery went smoothly and my son was home in a few hours.

God's precense today; A story of prayer and little sign's from God
We prayed and then this happened! A story of God’s presence today

Check out More God Moment Stories

God Moment: I was So Afraid

God Moments: We Chose the Same Picture!

God Moments: God Follows Through

God Moments: Did That Just Happen?

God Moments: We Ran Out of Gas

About Lacy Ngo, MS, RDN and Mindfulness in Faith and Food, LLC

Mindfulness in Faith and Food, LLC focuses on how to live your healthiest, happiest, most meaningful life through faith-based mindfulness and evidence-based nutrition.
Several branches fall under the Mindfulness in Faith and Food, LLC umbrella. One is Mindful Vending, which is one of the few dietitian owned and operated vending companies in the nation!

Ngo is also a top expert in faith-based mindfulness and nutrition and is the author of several books including Faith, Mindfulness, & NutritionMindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals and The Nourishing Meal Builder. You can also find evidence-based nutrition articles, recipes, convenient healthy snack lists, inspiring faith stories, and faith-based mindfulness techniques on her blog, Mindfulness in Faith and Food.

Related Products

This is such a fun Journal! You can use this journal to write down you prayers, questions, thoughts, and God moments. After writing, you can color in the journal while you pray and think about what you just wrote. What a great way to slow down and be mindful!

I also just found the Prayer Journal For Children: A Kid’s Daily Journal for Prayer, Gratitude, and Praise – (Blue) -[Professional Binding]. I am so excited to find a way to share my joy of journaling with my children!

Copyright © 2017 Mindfulness in Faith and Food.

You are free to retain any and all content here for personal use, but need permission to use it anywhere else on the internet.

God Moments: God Follows Through

God Follows Through

Signs, Miracles, and "Winks" from God: God Follows Through; A story or giving and receiving
Signs, Miracles, and “Winks” from God: God Follows Through; A story or giving and receiving

In my experience, when God leads us to do something, God usually helps us get it done. I’m not saying hard times won’t happen. I’m not saying that we won’t go through pain, but when God leads us to do something, God will be with us to make it happen. In other words, God follows through. This is post three of the “God Moments” series.

Debt

Like post two, this God Moment story begins at our church. Our church had been trying to pay off a debt for the new children’s building. The building provided a larger place for our growing group of children. Now that the building was built, our church wanted to reduce the debt and free up the church finances so that our church could serve our community and God’s world in other ways.

Paying the Mortgage is Our Responsibility

My husband and I wanted to contribute. In fact, we felt that as members of the church, this was our church and OUR mortgage.  It was our duty to help pay the bills just as it was our duty to pay the mortgage of our home. We just were not sure of the amount we should contribute. When we bought our own home, we cut back on some things because we wanted THAT home. Our home was more important than some of the stuff we cut out of our lifestyle. We felt the same about church home.

But How Much Do We Pay?

My husband and I decided to pray and hoped that God would lead us. After prayer, we came up with an amount that seemed hard for us. We wanted to practice putting God before our own material desires. We had just bought a home, and we had planned on renovating the living room, but we were now going to postpone the renovation for 3 years in order to give to our church. We did this not expecting anything exciting to happen, but something exciting did happen.

Follow God Without Expectations

Before I go on, I want to explain what I am NOT saying. I am not saying that every time you sacrifice God rewards you with money. Many times people have sacrificed for God and even paid the ultimate sacrifice of death. But sometimes I think God does show us just how much we can trust God to take care of us.  When we trust God, God finds a way to show us God’s presence. When God leads us to do God’s will, God helps us get it done.

We Followed and God Helped Us Get It Done

We made a pledge that would not leave us struggling, but would make us have to hold off on some spending. After we took that leap of faith and pledged our financial giving to the church, my husband received an unexpected raise at work AND found out that he was getting some backpay money he didn’t know he had coming!

Giving Changed Our Priorities

You know what was funny? In the process, we realized that we didn’t need the elaborate renovation we had originally planned. With this unexpected money, we were able to do a less elaborate renovation in 2 years instead of three AND we decided to give an extra financial gift to our church as a Christmas gift. In fact, we didn’t count this gift as part of our pledge and gave it as an EXTRA gift.

When I say we, I mean my husband because I wanted to count the gift as part of our financial pledge. I had to bite my tongue when my husband said, “Yeah, I think I am going to give this extra money to the church.” I wanted to say, ‘but when it is time to pay that last chunk of money that we have pledged to the church, aren’t you going to wish you had counted this money as part of our pledge?’ But I knew this was something good my husband wanted to do, so I held back from saying anything.

Photo by jubileelewis

Just Wait, The Story Gets Even Better!

So we gave that extra money without counting it toward the pledge. But a few months later our pledge was due, and we were kicking ourselves for not counting Christmas gift as part of our pledge.  You would think we would have been better at trusting God after all of this, but when it was time for our last payment to the campaign WEEEE WERE NERVOUS! It was year three of the campaign, and we had one BIG chunk of our pledge to give. Oh, did I mention that the amount we gave at Christmas WAS the amount we had left to give!

So with heavy hearts, we reluctantly wrote that check and gave that last sum to the church.

No Really, The Story Does Get Better! Bring On The Arm Chills

Do you know what happened the very next week?!!!! My husband was asked to do an extra one-time BIG job at work that paid him almost the EXACT amount we gave to the church! I mean, just wow! We didn’t get loads and loads of extra money, but we got the money we needed to serve God and our brothers and sisters at our church. I am tellin’ ya! One day, I hope to have more trust, because God keeps blowing me away when God shows up! All I can say is God follows through.

Disclosure: This site may provide affiliate links (See full disclosure)

You May Also Enjoy

This is such a fun Journal! You can use this journal to write down you prayers, questions, thoughts, and God moments. In other words, use the journal to write down all the times in your life when God follows through.

After writing, you can color in the journal while you pray and think about what you just wrote. What a great way to slow down and be mindful!

I love prayer journals and am always recommending them. Since Thanksgiving is around the corner, I want to focus on some Gratitute and thanksgiving focused journals. Check them out below.


And this is a children’s gratitude journal! What a great way to to get the whole family involved!

More God Moments

God Moments: Did That Just Happen?

God Moments: We Chose the Same Picture

God Moments: We Prayed and then This Happened!

God Moments: I Was So Afraid

God Moments: We Ran Out of Gas

18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life

This article has been updated and is an adaptation from a story in 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life. This unique book was written by Lacy Ngo, a dietitian nationally recognized as a top expert in faith-based mindfulness and evidence-based nutrition. She shares the exact steps that, based on science, produce the most dramatic health and weight loss success in her book, 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life. This book is like nothing you have ever seen before. It combines faith and science. Both are crucial when it comes to producing real change because real change involves the mind, body, and spirit. This is an adaption from a story in the book, 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life.

Copyright © 2017 Mindfulness in Faith and Food.

You are free to retain any and all content here for personal use, but need permission to use it anywhere else on the internet.

Another Award- Leibster Award!

Mindfulness in Faith and Food has been Nominated for Another Award- The Liebster Award!

Thank you Taylor Leigh Welborn for your Nomination!

Being a new blogger is a little intimidating! When I started blogging, I had so many doubts and fears; this is why being nominated for the “Liebster Award ” is so exciting! The blogging community has been so encouraging and has shown the Mindfulness in Faith and Food” blog so much support. Thank you so much for the nomination!

Follow the Rules: Find them Here

Please everyone go check out Taylor Leigh Welborn’s blog “Simple Living Nursing Mama.” Taylor provides so much helpful information such as great recipes, breastfeeding advice, tips and tricks, and more! Please go check out her blog!

Another one of my favorite blogs is …

The “GreatBig Life” at necasmith.com. Neca is a professional counselor/therapist and writes a Christian blog for Christian women who want to grow spiritually and have a purposeful walk with Christ in everyday life. Her blog is uplifting and inspiring. She helps us, her readers ask questions like “What is next for me?” What is my purpose?” and “Why an I here?” I have enjoyed many of her blog post, especially her posts, “4 Things Keeping You From Experiencing the Presence of God on a Daily Basis,” and “6 Scriptures to Meditate on During a Difficult Work Day.” Her blog not only has great content but also is visually appealing with beautiful bright colors. I feel better after reading her blog! Be sure to check her blog out at

10 Random Facts About Myself

  • I am a registered dietitian with a master in human nutrition.
  • I love all things Disney, especially Walt Disney World.
  • I enjoy dancing and have even danced with a MixxedFit Dance crew.
  • I have two children: an almost 8 year old boy and a 4 year old girl.
  • I enjoy cooking for my family and friends
  • I graduated form Clemson University and am a HUGE Clemson fan
  • I ugly cried when Clemson won the National Championship
  • I have tried out for the Walt Disney World Mom’s Panel for two years in a row, but have yet to make it. Third time is a charm?
  • I love to wear sweatpants!
  • Sleeves make me feel uncomfortable. I wear sleeveless shirts even in the winter. I just put a jacket of sweatshirt over the sleeveless shirt.

Q&A

  • . For what in your life do you feel most grateful
    • God, my family and friends
  • What is your favorite meal?
    •   Mexican food is my current favorite
  • If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Why?
    • Walt Disney World because I am a kid at heart.
  • What is your favorite blog post? Why? (Include a link)
  • What makes you laugh?
    • Silly movies
  • What is your weirdest quirk?
    • I don’t like wearing sleeves
  •  What made you start blogging?
    • I have always had a desire to write. I was writing stories since I was a little girl. Throughout my career as a dietitian, I kept going back to writing. I have been a freelance writer, written a nutrition column for the local paper, and written for our church blog, Over the years, I have written so much on nutrition and about my faith that I thought that instead of letting the information just sit in my desk drawer, I should start sharing all of my writing with others in hopes that others will find some of the information helpful.
  • Where do you see yourself a year from now?
    •  I hope I am still blogging and helping others in the areas of health and fitness and mindfulness. I hope God leads me, and I hope I listen. I hope I have learned more than I know now.
  • What would be your biggest piece of advice to fellow bloggers?
    • Be kind and supportive of other bloggers. I have received so much support from other bloggers, and I am so thankful for that!
  • What is your favorite song to dance to?
    • I like to dance to Disney songs with my kids
  •  What is the best vacation you have ever been on?
    • Walt Disney World, of course!

 My Nominee Picks!

GreatBig Life at Necasmith.com

Less in the Nest

Our Cookery

A Frugal Desteny

Army Wife With Daughters

A Mama Tale

Questions for the Nominees!

  • For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
  • What is your favorite meal?
  • If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Why?
  • What is your favorite blog post? Why? (Include a link)
  • What makes you laugh?
  • What is your weirdest quirk?
  • What made you start blogging? Where do you see yourself a year from now?
  • What would be your biggest piece of advice to fellow bloggers?
  • What is your favorite song to dance to?
  • What is the best vacation you have ever been on?

Get Back to Me!

Please leave a comment on this post that you have accepted your nomination!

Make sure you comment on The Global Aussie’s post to let him know that you are nominated!

If you have any questions make sure to head over to The Global Aussie! You can find all the information that you need there!

Thank you again Susan for nominating me!!

 

God Moments: Choosing the Same Picture!

God Moments: When God Shows Up!

I believe that God is not a silent God. God wants to have a real relationship with us, and God wants to be a part of our lives. And I believe you don’t have to say the perfect prayer for God to show up. God doesn’t have to be manipulated to be in our lives because God wants to be in our lives! I have found this to be true in my own life. Many times God has shown up when I was actively praying, searching, and pursuing a relationship with God, but sometimes God has “shown up” when I didn’t even deserve it. I call these moments when we clearly see God in our lives “God Moments.”

God is compassionate. God loves us and doesn’t have to be convinced to do something for us. Sometimes all we need to do is ask, be patient, and mindfully watch. Get ready because God will show up!

A Sunday Morning God Moment

This is post two of the “God Moment” series. This “God moment” takes place on a busy Sunday morning. ..

Our church service was starting soon, and we were close to being late. My husband, who is in the church band, was already at church. As we rushed into the lobby, I noticed a large table filled with pictures of adorable children from all over the world. I made a mental note to check out the table after the service.

After church, I went to the table and learned that the children in the pictures were children in need of financial help. Church members could choose to provide monthly financial help by sponsoring a child. Once you signed up to sponsor a child, you would send the child’s family much needed money as well as notes and letters of encouragement. I was immediately drawn to a little boy named Matt from another country.

We Chose the Same Picture!

I wanted to sponsor Matt, but knew I needed to see if my husband would want to sponsor him as well. Perhaps my husband didn’t even want to take on the responsibility of sponsoring a child, so I asked my husband if he wanted to go over to the Compassion table and check it out. I didn’t want to pressure him or even suggest a particular child to him. I wanted to see what he thought without my interference.

When we walked over to the table filled with probably 30 to 40 children’s pictures, my husband picked up only one picture and said “what about this child?” The picture was of Matt!!! I couldn’t believe it. We both chose Matt on our own. The choice was easy. We knew Matt was the child we should sponsor. We still continue to sponsor and pray for Matt and his family. For some reason, we were both drawn or perhaps guided to Matt that day.

Disclosure: This site may provide affiliate links (See full disclosure)

journaling photo

You May Enjoy

Journaling has become a way for me to pray, think, and learn. Also, I  journal whenever I experience a God Moment. I try to write down that experience before I forget. In fact, I found this particular blog story in my journal.  If I had never written this story down, I may not have even remembered this moment or been able to share it with others. In case you are searching for a cute and inspirational prayer journal, I have provided links to several prayer journals.

Want more God Moment Stories? Check out these other posts.

God Moments: Why are You So Afraid?

God Moments: Did That Just Happen?

God Moments: Choosing the Same Picture

God Moments: We Prayed and Then this Happened!

God Moments: We Ran Out of Gas

18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life

This article has been updated and is an adaptation from a story in 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life. This unique book was written by Lacy Ngo, a dietitian nationally recognized as a top expert in faith-based mindfulness and evidence-based nutrition. She shares the exact steps that, based on science, produce the most dramatic health and weight loss success in her book, 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life. This book is like nothing you have ever seen before. It combines faith and science. Both are crucial when it comes to producing real change because real change involves the mind, body, and spirit. This is an adaption from a story in the book, 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life.

God stories about amazing coincedences
God Moments, Winks, adn signs: amazing coincedences

Copyright © 2017 Mindfulness in Faith and Food.

You are free to retain any and all content here for personal use, but need permission to use it anywhere else on the internet.

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