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An Instinct Told A Woman To Take This Photo Of Strangers - Weeks Later She Found Out Why

Two of the things we love to share with you the most are stories of random good deeds and things we can't explain.

This story deals with both.

It was shared by a woman from Ohio named Joyce Rhinehart, who felt an urge she could not explain and snapped a photo of a family she didn't know.

But the most bizarre part is what happened next.

Family Photo

Rhinehart wrote that she was treating her grandson, Blake, to some ice cream after his tennis lesson last summer.

So far, it sounds like a very average day.

But when Rhinehart left the store, she noticed a family of four sitting on a bench, enjoying some ice cream cones.

Joyce Rhinehart - Facebook

Rhinehart says she felt an urge she can't explain to capture the moment for them.

"Something urged me to ask them if I could take their picture which they did not hesitate to agree," she wrote.

She took the photo with her phone and promised to send it to the family.

The Hand of God

It may seem unusual, but Rhinehart says she has a habit of photographing strangers in public.

She says it's her way of doing a good deed, by capturing their family moments.

"Usually, I do this on vacation," she explained, "I know... I'm weird!"

But later, Rhinehart would write that "the hand of God" directed her to take this photo.

And once you learn why, it's hard to say she's wrong.

The Text Message

A few weeks after taking the picture, on Father's Day, Rhinehart received a text message from a number that she did not recognize.

She says the message left her in tears.

Joyce Rhinehart - Facebook

Dear madam, you took our picture in front of Rita's on June 8th. My wife has passed away yesterday and this is the last picture we have together as a family. Please accept my deepest gratitude for your kindness, it means the world to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Rhinehart shared a few more messages with the man in the photo, learning that his wife had been ill for the last year.

A Gut Feeling

Rhinehart says her heart was "heavy for this sweet family" after learning about their loss.

"I don't even know, and the tremendous gift that was left to them cause I listened to my gut that day," she wrote on Facebook.

One of the most special parts of the photo is the mother has the biggest smile on her face.

It's almost like she knew her family would cherish the memory after she was gone.

Let this be a lesson to us all: sometimes, if you get a strong feeling, it pays to listen to your heart.

Have you ever experienced anything like this before?

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