A 7-year-old boy brought comfort and joy to an elderly widow when he noticed her eating alone at a Braum’s restaurant in Rockwall, Texas.
God places special moments in our path each day to show His love through us. As parents, we have the chance to guide our children toward real connections with others instead of letting screens become their whole world. When we teach our children to notice people around them, they often show us what it means to love like Jesus.
When Ezra spotted the elderly woman sitting by herself, he knew right away what to do. He picked up his food and told his mother Crystal, “Mom, we have to go sit with her.” Though Crystal felt unsure at first, she saw her son’s strong desire to help and agreed to join him.
The woman they met was Ms. Pat, age 84, who had lost her husband just months before. She told them she had been fighting depression since his death. This lunch marked her first time back at Braum’s, a place she and her husband had often visited during their nine years together.
For the next thirty minutes, Ezra talked with Ms. Pat about his love for football and his role as quarterback. Ms. Pat listened with real interest and asked questions about his brothers and sisters. Crystal watched this sweet moment unfold and captured it on video to remember.
Later, when they were leaving, Ms. Pat thanked Ezra for making her day brighter. On their way home, Ezra shared his heart with his mom: “It’s just not right, Mom. Nobody should be doing life alone. It’s just not okay for her to sit alone.”
Crystal and her husband Eli have raised their four children, ages 5 to 14, with a focus on real friendships over screen time. They don’t allow iPads, pushing their kids instead to talk with people face to face.
This choice has shaped their children’s hearts. One of Ezra’s siblings spends time with special-needs students instead of going to recess. Another child, Arrow, became friends with his bus driver, who now comes to church with them.
Ms. Pat’s story touches the heart even more deeply. She lost her first husband when she was young. Nine years ago, she found love again, but spent eight of those years helping her second husband through his battle with brain cancer. Even during this hard time, they traveled together and made precious memories.
Crystal believes God planned their meeting that day. “I 100 percent think that God had us in that space, at that time,” she said. She sees Ezra as “the little angel in disguise” who showed Ms. Pat she wasn’t forgotten. Their friendship has grown since that day, with Ms. Pat even coming to watch Ezra’s football games.
God works in wonderful ways to heal broken hearts. Through a child’s simple act of kindness, He showed His love to someone who needed it most. When we teach our children to see others as Jesus does, they often lead the way in showing His love.
Let’s keep our eyes open for people like Ms. Pat in our own lives. Someone near us might be eating alone, hurting inside, or just needing to know that others care.
A simple hello or shared meal might be exactly what God wants to use to bring hope to a hurting heart.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
Video not working?
