God Did It Again

If you have followed these posts for anytime, you are familiar with the occasional testimony about God's miraculous provision for my family. There have been numerous such interventions. I am about to share another.

Last weekend the Wayland sons (our three oldest sons who all attend Wayland Baptist University and play football) had a bye week and came home. The timing was perfect since Tucker (the third son) had a birthday on the 17th. We have a birthday tradition in our family where you get to choose the restaurant when it is your birthday. Typically one is selected we mighty only eat at once or twice a year. It is special.

We enjoyed a great weekend celebrating Tucker's birthday and just being together as a family. Because of the location of our house we do a lot of driving. Suffice it to say that by the end of the weekend, after our celebration and paying car insurance for six vehicles, we had $7 in the bank. By midweek we were figuring out how to ration gasoline in the vehicles. I knew I would run out before Friday and began making excuses what I would say about coming in the office.

Out of all the trials this one seemed pretty minor. I prayed about a special provision as did Brenda. No big deal. We knew we would just have to cut some corners and make it to the weekend if there was no miracle. God offered us a miracle on Sunday at lunch by from a man in our church, but pride got the best of me and I refused it. By Thursday afternoon I came to grips that I would not be able to go to the office on Friday. I also knew Brenda and I would get paid on the weekend and that eventually it would all even out. No big deal.

God had something else in mind. While packing my office yesterday, Thursday afternoon,  I got startled by a man standing in the doorway I did not see. He spent the whole day mowing the church lawn. He is always serving in some way along with many others in our church. He reached down and sat some folded money on my desk saying, "This is a little gas money to help you chase the boys around playing football." He did not know about our $7. Nobody knew but God and Brenda and I. Nor did he know that Turner's game is out of town tonight and the Wayland sons play at home meaning we will drive to Plainview on Saturday.

Initially I resisted but he persisted. I stopped in my tracks realizing God used this man to provide and to answer our prayer. How could He have known unless God put it on his heart.  I had to tell him the story of our $7 and how God used him to answer a prayer. The next thing I know he reaches into his wallet and pulls out some more money and tries to hand it to me. I told him I didn't want it and he shoved it inside my shirt. With that he went back to work. Just like that we went from $7 to $207!

When he walked out I cried. I mean tears welled up and I prayed out loud, "Hallelujah! Thank You God for coming through again." When I told Brenda later that night she teared up. This is the way we have lived for 28 years as a couple. When we have needs we take them to God. Somehow God communicates those needs to others and uses them to provide. It has happened hundreds of times.

We never know how God will do it. We never whom He will use. God is creative and continually astounds us. We face financial mountains over and over again and over and over again we watch God move them. Like we had a tree uproot in a storm and fall into a neighbor's tree. A friend came yesterday and cut it down and stacked it all on my woodpile. There is nothing left where that tree stood except a small hole. My only payment is to do something kind for someone else. To pay it forward.

This summer I had two wrecked cars and three that needed mechanical work. We had no way to pay for it. God came through. In ways I can't go into now He provided every penny to get both wrecked cars repaired plus another car I hit without having to file it on our insurance. All three cars with the mechanical problems have been repaired because of the generosity of two of his servants, a loving church and a deacon who gave up free time to voluntarily repair our vehicles. He did it out of love for his pastor and family.

All I can say is GOD DID IT AGAIN!

Philippians 4:19-20 (ESV)
19  And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
20  To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.