Max heaved another box from the attic. Why on earth did his parents save all this stuff? If only he could throw it all in the dumpster and be done with it. But no. In every box, there was something of value. Not like he needed the money, but he certainly wasn’t about to throw it away. Anything he found, he’d give to Deena and Andy. Even though they were all grown and doing fine, as the oldest, sometimes he still wanted to take care of his sister and brother.

He lugged the box down the stairs and placed it on the coffee table. After wiping the dust from the top, he opened the box and peered inside. Great. A bunch of papers. He’d have to go through it one by one.

As he lifted the contents, it became clear this box hadn’t been disturbed in decades. He pulled out a folder with his name on it.

Maxwell – early years

He grinned at the pictures of his preschool class and his early childhood attempts at handwriting. The large block letters were a far cry from his current neat script. He laid aside the items until he came to a yellowing newspaper article. What was this?

Local woman hero saves young neighbor from drowning

Max studied the article and the accompanying picture. What? He’d nearly drowned? He skimmed the article. Sure enough, at three years of age, he’d wandered into the neighbor’s yard and fallen into their pool. Another neighbor, Betty Hamilton, was walking her dog and had seen the whole thing. She’d performed CPR and restarted his breathing. He’d been in the hospital for a day, but made a full recovery.

Max froze, letting the words seep into his brain. Fragments of memory pieced together. The picture showed him and a woman standing in front of a house. A house that he’d forgotten existed until this moment. They must have moved shortly afterwards.

It all made sense now. His fear of the water. Trips to the beach had terrified him as a youngster. Even now, he avoided swimming pools and hot tubs. It must all stem from this.

He studied the picture of Betty Hamilton. God allowed her to save his life for a reason. He trembled. Was he fulfilling that reason? He’d been a good son and a reasonably good big brother. He’d graduated first in his class from law school and built up a successful practice. But was that enough? He dropped to his knees.

“God, thank You for saving my life that day. Please, let it be worth it. Please help me use this new-found knowledge to better serve You. How can I make the best use of this second chance?”

Betty Hamilton’s face flashed through his mind. Would she still be alive 52 years later? It was a stretch, but Max had to find out. He wouldn’t rest until he found her. He pulled out his phone and did a search. An Elizabeth Hamilton still lived on Apple Lane – the address the article listed. He checked the map. It was a two-hour drive, but there was plenty of daylight left. No time like the present. He was off all week to take care of his parents’ house, so he had the time. He hopped in the car and crossed the state, unsure of what God was planning to do.

 As the GPS directed him onto Apple Lane, Max sucked in a breath. Pulling up in front of number 45, memories flooded him. This was his first home. No doubt. The siding was a different color and the trees were considerably taller, but it drew immediate recognition. Why on earth had they left? He continued down the street to number 90. An older woman stooped in the garden, carefully tending the vegetables. Max approached.

“Excuse me, are you Betty Hamilton?”

The woman straightened and her gaze narrowed. “Why can’t you people leave me in peace? I told you, I’m doing the best I can with the payments. What kind of people are you, anyway, trying to drive an old woman from her home?”

Max blinked. “I’m sorry, Ma’am. I don’t know what you’re talking about. My name is Max Robinson. I used to live down the street.”

Betty’s face morphed into a smile that transformed her features. “Little Maxwell. Can it be?” She strode over to Max and reached up and grabbed his cheeks. “Land sakes alive. Those deep brown eyes are as bright as the day I met you. Come in, come in, and have some tea.”

Reeling from the change in her behavior, Max followed Betty into her home where she poured him a glass of iced tea.

“I’m sorry for being so ornery earlier. Pesky lawyers are telling me I owe money on my home. They think they’re going to take it away from me. But I know my Roscoe paid off the mortgage, fair and square.”

“Do you have the paperwork to prove it?”

Rose waved a hand. “I don’t keep anything like that around here. And I certainly can’t afford some highfalutin lawyer to figure it out for me. I’m just praying the good Lord will take care of it. He’s taken care of me so far. So tell me, how are your parents? And your little sister?”

Max filled Betty in on his parent’s deaths, his sister, and his brother, who hadn’t yet been born when they moved. “Do you know why my parents left this neighborhood? It seems like a wonderful place to grow up.”

Betty leaned forward in her chair. “They felt terrible about what happened to you. Blamed themselves for not keeping a better eye on you. With it being in the paper and all, they didn’t want the publicity. So they moved away to a place where no one knew them.”

It all made sense now. “Thank you, Mrs. Hamilton. Not only for the information and the tea, but thank you so much for saving me all those years ago. You gave me a second chance at life. And now, I want to do something for you.” Max’s heart filled with the goodness of God who had brought him to this moment.

Betty waved a hand. “I don’t need anything.”

“That may be true. But I just so happen to be one of those hifalutin lawyers you were talking about, and I’d be honored if you’d let me look into saving your home. My only fee is one glass of iced tea and a saved life.”

Proverbs 3:27

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.

God, we never know how our lives will impact others. But You do, and You have an amazing plan. Thank you for the gift of life. Please help us use that gift to the fullest to bring praise and glory to You, and to impact the lives of those around us. Please open our eyes to the opportunities to bless the people we meet. Thank You for using us as Your hands and feet. In Jesus’ name, Amen.