Last night, my husband went to cash a check at Walmart — just minutes after a woman attempted to steal something from the store. The items in question were still lying on the floor. She’d dropped her bag just before she ran away.

The bag contained groceries.

Not electronics.

Not cigarettes.

Not alcohol.

Food — enough to feed several people. Probably a family that wouldn’t be fed. Children that would go hungry.

My husband came home and told me about this, and I was heartbroken. I’m still bummed about it today.

If he had gotten there a few minutes earlier, he could have taken her to our church’s food pantry down the street. Or he could have taken her to our pastor, who would have done something to help her. Of course, if my husband had done that, he would be aiding and abetting a shoplifter, but ... maybe not, if he’d been able to see she needed help before it got that far.

Those are a lot of ifs.

She got caught, she ran, and she dropped what she was trying to steal to feed her family.

And I, despite my love of God’s law (“Do not steal” is pretty prominently featured as one of the Big Ten), pray that she will be able to escape the police entirely. I‘ve been praying that for the past 20 hours. … I’m also praying that God will provide some other way for her to get food for herself and her family.

Because I know my Lord and Savior would have compassion on her. He would feed her. He would love her in spite of her wrong decision. He would encourage her not to make that same bad choice again, but He would love her.

All I can do to help that woman is pray. But I’m trusting my prayers will reach God’s ears, and He will start moving on her behalf.

I know what it’s like to wonder if you’ll be able to feed your family. We’ve been in some pretty desperate situations before, but God has always come through for us.

Maybe that woman doesn’t have any support like that. I can’t fault her for trying what she did. Not really. I’ve made enough bad decisions of my own.

And I can’t say I wouldn’t think of doing the same thing, if I felt I had no other choice. I’m just thankful I do.

So, that’s another prayer I’m praying for her — that she’ll get to know God as her Provider like I do. That she won’t depend on her own devices (especially illegal ones) to see that her needs get met, but that she will learn to depend on the One who already knows and wants to meet every need she has.