I will always remember when Joe Belanger, the school principal from the Catholic school that my children attended, invited my family to his vacation motor home. Out of the blue he gave us his vacation home for a week and the key to his motor boat.

I had been ill and praying to God, “I need to get away from it all and recover.” The boat on the lake, the breeze, the total break and peacefulness gave me new strength and new courage.

Joe was staying with his mother close by and they would drop by and join us in our early prayer. What a beautiful vacation it was.

When I visit my home town in the French Alps I am always amazed how the neighbors, friends and relatives get along with each other. It is a small town and everyone knows everyone. People dropped by often to the home of my mom, to have coffee, to bring some veggies from their garden, some eggs from their chickens. Then my mom would make a soup of it all and send me to bring some to so and so. These are all special memories.

Recently my friend Aldo has been dropping by regularly. He noticed my house needed some things fixed up. One day he fixed my porch. The week after he replaced my front door. Another time he repaired my toilet and bathtub. Also, he asked his son to dig something in my yard for the water to drain. And, when my pump was broken, he fixed it.

He does not want anything in return. He just does it for service and love. And I know well that God will send someone to his family when he needs it.

But that is not the point.

The point is how to be an Aldo or Joe Belanger to someone you know. God will send you to this special person.