By Lynda Kelly
“Should we take grandma an umbrella?” my daughter asked.
A crack of thunder split the sky. Within seconds, rain poured down—the kind of desert storm that turns streets into rivers.
I hesitated. It was late.
The logical part of me offered every excuse to stay dry and safe at home. Mama only has an hour left on her shift, I reasoned.
But then I saw the look on my daughter’s face—full of care and love.
How could I say no?
“Sure,” I said, grabbing the umbrella. And off we went, driving down a quickly flooding highway into the heart of the storm.
After parking the car, we ran through the rain, soaked and laughing, into the casino where Mama worked at the gift shop.
Mama smiled. “Why are you out this time of night? And in a storm?”
When we handed her the umbrella, the look on her face—surprised, touched, valued—was worth it all.
My daughter and I returned to the car, drenched but beaming. We looked at each other and burst into song, “That’s the power of love!”
That one line from a movie soundtrack suddenly carried deeper meaning. We both understood our mission in my mom’s life: to let the power of love touch and transform her.
But what surprised me was how much that same love was transforming me.
An Uncomfortable Call
“Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.” – 1 John 3:18 HCSB
As we sat, soaking wet, with hearts full of joy, I looked with regret at the sticker on the dashboard: “No Smoking.”
I felt a twinge of guilt, remembering the day everything changed and I put that sticker on the dashboard.
The phone rang on a quiet summer afternoon. I picked up the phone and heard Mama’s voice.
“Can I come live with you? I have nowhere else to go.”
Panic set in. My mother? In my house?
This wasn’t what I’d ever planned.
My mom was messy, loud, and emotionally reactive. Life with her was unpredictable.
But I loved Jesus—and I knew what He would ask of me.
I stalled to buy time to compose my thoughts. “What happened?”
As Mama explained the situation, the Holy Spirit gently reminded me of 1 John 3:16 HCSB which says, “This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers.”
I finally responded, “Can someone bring you halfway?”
I wish I’d said, “Are you safe? I’m on my way.” But I was at the beginning of my own journey.
The next day, I adjusted my schedule to pick up my mom.
Resentment crept inside my heart.
Mama smoked constantly. Her TV blared at all hours of the night. My peaceful home would be turned upside down.
So I bought a “No Smoking” sticker for the car. My feeble attempt to make things comfortable before stepping into my role as the hands and feet of Jesus.
Mama needed to know God’s love. But my response to the situation revealed I also needed to experience God’s love on a deeper level.
God wasn’t calling me to provide a place for her to live and go through the motions, but to love her—sacrificially, consistently, and unconditionally.
A New Story Begins
“But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!” – Romans 5:8 HCSB
When I picked Mama up that day, I hardly recognized her.
She stood with a single garbage bag of belongings and a portable TV—everything she owned.
The next morning, Mama came to church with us. She looked so out of place—unkempt, uncomfortable, uncertain.
But it was a beginning.
Mama was about to discover the love of God.
That rainy night with the umbrella was a turning point. The sticker on my dashboard didn’t represent love, but reflected my fear of discomfort and inconvenience.
I peeled the sticker off. If God was working in Mama’s life, I needed to let Him work in mine, too.
I silently prayed to God to help me be His vessel of love.
Love Transforms
“Above all, maintain an intense love for each other, since love covers a multitude of sins.” – 1 Peter 4:8 HCSB
Over the months, we watched Mama come alive again. She got her first job in years and found a little home nearby.
Mama began to feel welcome in our home and church. The love of God, shown through small acts and daily grace, was healing her heart.
Her past no longer defined her. Jesus did.
Along the way, I changed, too.
Two years later, Mama passed away unexpectedly.
I traveled home from the funeral and held her worn Bible in my hands. The pages were full of underlined verses, handwritten prayers, and notes of hope.
Through tears, I thanked God for the transformation I had witnessed—and for the change He had brought about in me.
We’d both experienced the powerful restoration God’s love brings.
Choose Love
“This is My command: Love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.” – John 15:12-13 HCSB
Removing the “No smoking” sticker started as a simple gesture, but revealed something eternal: Love is transformative.
We may think God uses us to bring transformative power into someone else’s life, but He’s transforming us in the process as well.
Every time we say, “Yes” to God, every time we step out of our comfort zone, every time we sacrifice, we share more of God’s heart and presence.
And this changes us.
The power of love isn’t a feeling or a song lyric—it’s a choice. A mission. A calling.
We can love even when it’s inconvenient. We can welcome others even when it’s uncomfortable.
We can trust God to work through ordinary acts of kindness—such as umbrellas in the rain and smoke-scented grace.
Who in our lives needs the power of love?
Our obedience to God could become someone else’s turning point—and ours. Let’s not wait for it to be convenient.
Ask God to show you today. And when He does—go.
And bring the umbrella.
Lynda Kelly
Lynda Kelly is an author, pastor’s wife, mother, grandmother, Bible teacher, and conference speaker. She has a passion for God’s Word and its power to change lives. Lynda lives in Arizona with her husband Chuck, and they are blessed with two children and six grandchildren. In her free time, Lynda loves to sew, read, cook, and enjoy time with family. Connect with her on her website and Instagram.
