As I was checking out at the grocery store recently, a friend got in line behind me. His wife had been in the hospital for several days and he was doing some shopping. I felt convicted to bless them with a small monetary donation to help with some of their expenses. Again, not much, but hopefully it was the thought that added blessing to their lives that day.
(I’m realizing many of my encounters happen while food shopping – maybe that’s the only time I ever really leave our house!)
One very cold and windy day while unloading my groceries from the grocery cart to my car, I noticed this person approaching me carrying a small gas can. She started to talk as she approached me – keeping a little bit of a distance which helped me to feel safe – and asked if I had any little amount of money to spare for her to purchase some gas to get home. I was skeptical, especially when she continued to list a gazillion disasters that were happening in her life at that moment, but still felt that a couple of dollars would not hurt me and could benefit her cause a little bit. I don’t know if she actually did purchase gas with the money I gave to her (though she did start walking in the direction of the nearest gas station), but if not, she will have to live with her own guilty conscience. Afterward, I thought of other possibilities of how I could have handled this situation better (like going to the gas station and paying to fill up her gas can directly instead of giving her the cash). Oh well, maybe I’ll be thinking more clearly next time. Until then, I pray that she was blessed and can look for a way to pass that on to someone in the future.
Spending time in the hospital for any reason can be emotionally stressful in addition to the physical challenges being faced. Add to that 2 surgeries and needing to celebrate your 15th birthday while there (and almost Thanksgiving Holiday), would not make any teenager very happy! 🙂 Sending a gift to help pass the time just can’t quite “fix” all that, but hopefully the thoughts behind the gift did help to ease a bit of the pain.
I feel so honored to be able to serve some of God’s special children. One Sunday, a dear single mom was in need of encouraging words and friendship. Just a simple gesture ~ an invitation for her to sit with us during the service instead of alone ~ can go a long way in sharing God’s love. I pray that she was able to soak up a small portion of God’s love and peace into her heart that would supply her with the strength and courage she needed for the coming week.
Over the past year, I had friends whose loved ones have passed on from this life to their eternal home. I felt directed to write a small note of encouragement to them, especially as they faced the 1-year mark and upcoming holidays. I trust that they have been able to feel God’s presence in their lives . . . walking this journey with them.
My husband and I agreed to give some leadership to our church’s annual fall festival. This wound up consuming quite a bit of time. This challenge proved to be a rewarding way to offer a fun-filled day to our community and church family. There is no way the day could have happened without the help of MANY wonderful volunteers. In spite of the rain, we still had lots of fun.
Microwave Explosion
Stove-top splatter
1 yolk pretty much missing – exploded
Here is a funny story about Labor Day Sunday at our house. As I was getting ready for church, I heard some commotion happening in the kitchen. Daughter was exclaiming something about NOT eating those eggs that were being prepared in her dad’s jacket. I didn’t fully understand until later. My husband had decided to try an experiment after watching this youtube video: How to Scramble Eggs Inside Their Shell. I failed to take pictures of him actually scrambling the raw eggs in his jacket sleeve (which he may not have performed this correctly) and the appearance of the hard boiled eggs that had cracked in the boiling process. They looked quite hideous! However, later in the day I decided to try to eat one of these disgusting looking eggs. The whites were completely mushy and soggy. Eww! Ugh! But the yolks appeared normal. I test tasted one and it was good. So I proceeded to peel a couple more eggs to eat the yolks and disposed of the whites in the trash. I prefer to eat yolks slightly warm with a tad bit of butter and salt, so stuck them in the microwave to heat – for only 12 seconds!!!! When I opened the microwave door, the one yolk EXPLODED! I mean, it really exploded – all over the kitchen! Pieces of the yolk flew as far as 12 feet across the kitchen – almost hitting our daughter who was standing there. It was hilarious, but what a mess to clean up. If you try this experiment at home, do be cautious and aware of the mess you may need to clean. 🙂
A couple months ago, I had the privilege of helping out with VBS at the church we attend. Nothing really significant or outstanding, but I played a small role by helping with decorating, painting, and working at the registration table welcoming the kids as they arrived each evening. I also had the privilege of helping with the missions project. It was a fun week.
A story from my past . . . many years ago, God taught me some lessons with a $1.00 bill.
I was living in Ohio at the time serving 1 year as a volunteer for a mission agency. During my year of voluntary service, my housing and food was provided for us, and we also received a minimal allowance each month to cover our other personal expenses (such as soap, toothpaste, shampoo, etc)
One weekend some of us decided to attend a concert. If I remember correctly, the tickets for the concert only cost $2.00 each. Just the right price for someone volunteering! Then a love offering was collected at the concert to cover the rest of their expenses.
All was going well . . . until offering time. I had only $1 left in my pocket and it needed to last me another 2 weeks before I would receive my next monthly allowance. I clearly felt God asking me to place that last dollar into the offering plate. I had some really good and quick arguments with God about this before the plate reached me.
“What will I eat at McDonald’s after the concert? Right now I only have enough for a small order of fries!”
“What if I need something before I receive my next monthly allowance?”
“Oh, come on! I’m already volunteering a year of my life! Why do I need to give my last dollar?”
The message from God was clear: trust Me, obey Me, and I will take care of you.
I took a deep breath and placed my last dollar into the offering plate as it passed. I sipped on a glass of water at McDonald’s after the concert. I knew I had done the right thing by obeying and trusting. Was that it? Was that all there was to this test?
Later, the next week, I received an envelope in the mail. It was a short letter from my home church with a check enclosed. The church had decided to support their young people who were called to volunteer for a year with a small monthly stipend. The check totaled $100! That was 100 times MORE than what I gave! Can you believe it????
Lessons I Learned:
~I had witnessed my father faithfully contributing each week to the church offering. I saw him place his money into the plate as it passed by. I have no idea how much he contributed, but I learned by watching him that it was important to give to God. I knew that we didn’t have lots of money growing up. I knew it was a sacrifice each week to give when we could have easily used the money to provide for necessities (like food and clothes). Yet we never starved and we always managed to have clothes to wear. I realized that tithing was important and it was already part of my life.
~ This time I learned for myself that obedience to God is very important for me – whether it be a big thing or a little thing.
~ I learned that God can and will provide for our needs when we walk in obedience to Him! My responsibility is to tithe faithfully and consistently without questioning, and then give more as He directs me to give.
~ I learned to trust God more and in a deeper way by experiencing this for myself. Tho I had seen God work by my father’s obedience, I needed to experience it myself for me to really grasp this truth.
How is God working in your life? Is He calling you to walk in obedience in some way? Are you submitting to His wisdom and care? Or are you resisting? I challenge you to take a deep breath, and allow yourself to follow in HIS footsteps! You won’t ever regret it!
OK, our daughter has been creating and hand-sewing projects for awhile, but I think this is the first one she has attempted doing it correctly. She used the sewing machine and sewed it inside out and then turning it right side out and sewing the hole closed after stuffing it. Not bad without too much direction from me. She used 2 different fabrics – one for each side.
