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It's always darkest before the dawn. It’s pretty dark at 3:30 AM too — especially at the end of a week of sleepless nights with our young child. We had just received his diagnosis of autism and were still getting a grasp of what that would mean to our family.

My wife and I drove our son around the block for the umpteenth time, hoping to get him settled down. We were also trying not to make eye contact. Both of us were on edge — stress and lack of sleep do that.

When you are weakest, the doubts really hit.

God, have you forgotten us? Are you there? Are we going through this all alone? Do you care?

Since receiving the diagnosis of autism, we were becoming increasingly isolated. We started getting out less as a family because we didn't know how Madison would act or what he would come in contact with. We were having more doctor visits, but fewer answers.

“Honey, we're going to get through this,” I told my wife. I hoped that my voice gave more confidence than my heart felt.

“Yes, even if we do it alone.”

And that was the problem.

The next day, we were just getting started when the phone rang. It was Shelia, a friend in our Sunday school class.

“Hello, Tim? The class has been thinking about ya’ll and we wondered if we could bring your family some meals. We want you to know we love you guys.”

You hear people talk about God’s timing. God picked this time to remind us that He cares, He always has. Five families provided us meals and showed us that we mattered to them. They will never know how much we needed to know that at that moment.

Never take for granted when God leads you to do something for someone else. You may not know what they are going through or what God is doing. God uses us to encourage and demonstrate His love to each other.

God let us know that day He was, and is, with us. He is listening, even at 3:30 in the morning.

Choose to be an encouragement to someone today. God can work through the least of us.

(Photo courtesy www.morguefile.com & MarcoMaru)