Jack plugged the address for his next delivery into the GPS and popped a mint into his mouth. What a long day it had been.  At least he’d have a nice paycheck, working this extra shift. But delivering groceries was not exactly what he’d hoped for at this stage in his life. He was really too old for this, but sitting home alone was worse. Home without Ellie was too depressing. Still, half the time he rang the doorbell and dropped the groceries on the doorstep. Driving around all night was lonely. This was his last delivery, and he’d had almost no interactions with people tonight.

He pulled up in front of a small brick house and checked the number against the address. This was the place. The instructions said to ring the doorbell and hand the groceries to the homeowner. Good. At least he’d get to talk to someone. He grabbed the bags, lugged them to the front porch, and rang the bell.

No answer. Huh. Strange. He was right on time. There was a car in the driveway, and the TV was on. He rang the bell again. Maybe they were in the bathroom. After a few minutes, he set the bags down on the porch. Guess he wouldn’t get to talk to someone after all.

Jack headed back to the van, about to log the delivery, when something stopped him.

Go back.

Jack blinked. What was that?

Go back.

Jack couldn’t shake the feeling. Something was wrong. He jogged back to the porch and tried the front door. The door was unlocked. He pushed the door open and called inside.

“Hello? Anyone home? It’s Jack from Grocery World.”

A faint voice called out. “Help me.”

Adrenaline coursed through Jack and he pushed through the door. He followed the direction of the voice, and found a white-haired woman on the floor. He rushed to her side.

“Are you OK?”

She shook her head. “I fell and I don’t have the strength to get up. I usually keep my phone with me, but I was only getting up for a minute.” She bit her bottom lip. “That was almost an hour ago.”

Jack reached out his hands. “Let me help you up. My name is Jack. What’s yours?”

“Millie.”

“Nice to meet you, Millie.” He lifted her to her feet, and supported her as he guided her to the sofa. She couldn’t weigh more than 85 pounds. He could easily have carried her if necessary.

“Thank you, Jack. I’m so glad you were here. You truly are a gift from God.”

Chills ran down Jack’s spine. “I was about to leave, but I felt something was wrong. This may sound crazy, but I feel like God told me to come in and check on you.”

Millie’s eyes widened. “Oh, my, you heard the voice of God. You truly are special.”

Jack shrugged, embarrassed. “I’m nothing special. Let me bring in your groceries.” He walked out to the porch and carried the groceries into the house. Millie remained in place on the couch, rubbing her hip. Jack studied her. “Are you in pain?”

“It’s not a big deal.” She made a move to stand and winced.

“Don’t get up. I’ll put the groceries away.” Jack placed the perishables in the fridge and the dry goods on the counter. When he returned to the living room, Millie’s eyes glistened.

“Now I really don’t believe you’re OK. You look like you’re about to cry.”

Millie blinked rapidly. “It’s not my hip. It’s just that I don’t remember the last time I had company. It’s nice to have someone else in the house.” She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “You must think I’m pathetic. Thank you for your help. I’m sure you have more groceries to deliver, and I’ve kept you for far too long already.”

Jack took a seat in the chair opposite the sofa. “This was my last delivery for the night.”

Stay.

There was that voice again. But this time, he didn’t need to be told twice. “I don’t think you’re pathetic at all.” He spied a bookshelf lined with jigsaw puzzles. “If you wouldn’t mind the company, I’d love to put together a puzzle with you.”

The sheer joy radiating from Millie’s expression warmed Jack from head to toe as the loneliness fled from his heart.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his fellow. But woe to the one who is alone when he falls and does not have another to help him up.

God, You’ve designed us to be in relationship with others. When You put nudges in our heart, please help us obey them. When we listen to You, we’ll find the blessings You’ve designed just for us. Thank You for guiding us to follow Your path, and thank You for the relationships You put in our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.