I have glimpsed God…just around the corner as I flip my head to look.
Too quick of an image for my mind to record, nonetheless the motion of
the air is unmistakably His impression on the space behind me. You are
His impression on the space behind me…and around me…and within me.
There
have been so many blessings in our lives these past three years as we
have worked to build a business – bounty that has far outweighed the
difficulty. One of you put an envelope with money under the windshield
wiper of our car so that we could travel to Maine to see our dear
missionary friends, home for a brief while on furlough. Another handed
us $300 in cash two days before Christmas and whispered, “Use it to get
something special for the kids.” Do you know the joy of grocery store
gift cards? Obviously quite a few of you do – because we have found
them in our church mailbox, randomly, always on a Sunday that entailed
such work to focus on worshiping God rather than worrying about what we
would do to feed everyone when that last little bit was gone from the
refrigerator and pantry. We were sending a child off to college without
money to even stock up on shampoo and the like, but concentrating on
being THANKFUL that God had provided the means for him to even go …and
one of you dropped off a printer, for his computer, because he was going
to college and would need it.
None of you knows how I battled with
my sinful, ungrateful heart two years ago when I faced the reality that I
could not spend $10 on a Christmas tree when $10 would buy milk,
oatmeal, bread and peanut butter. In frustration over my weakness I
resolved to a dear friend, “This is all up to me. If I make an event
out of it, no one will mind the lack – we should just chop down one of
the ornamental shrubs on the property line and make a party of it.” The
next day, one of you left a tree on our front porch, anonymously
propped against the rail. Whoever left us that green bit of holiday
cheer didn’t know their kindness would encourage the heart of a mother
grieving over the death of her daughter – on the anniversary of her
birthday. Because that same dear friend, when I told her the news, went
outside and exulted loudly, “Go, God! Thank you for being so kind to
my friend Stephanie!”
My children played basketball, because one of
you shared your savings and provided all of the registration fees, as
well as funding for gas and travel. We know there were many ways you
could have spent it – on fixing up your house, buying a newer car, all
the expenses involved with life. And, yet, you shared it with us.
Oil
deliveries, and wood deliveries, and bags of groceries left on our
porch, or kitchen counter, or in the refrigerator…have all of you been
the recipients of these to know with such certainty to bless this way?!
We had family coming from a distance, in need, for Thanksgiving last
year and I was not worried about how to feed everyone. At that point I
was going to cook whatever we had when the time came. In the mail we
received a check from one of you – and we know you are also struggling
to make ends meet. But you sent it with such enthusiastic love that I
couldn’t wait to joyfully share the news that the grocery store bill was
just $6 over the amount of the check.
As many know, we had just
started as a family to feel financially hopeful with some regular
paychecks coming in and our business continuing to grow. When I
received the phone call from the softball field that the ambulance was
headed out to pick up my husband because he had been injured, my first
thought was, “Not an ambulance! What could that possibly cost?” At the
hospital it was quickly apparent that the financial expenses were not
going to be the worst of it. My husband, 75% of our production labor
force, was not going to be able to walk for weeks. And more of you than
I can even remember clearly were there with us. You hugged, and
prayed, and joked, and helped us with the practical transportation
issues, and each of you earnestly encouraged me, “Don’t worry. God will
provide.” And He did.
We had a steady supply of volunteers at
work, lunches dropped off, dinners waiting at home, yard work
maintained, transportation provided. Four different college kids worked
unpaid throughout two months to keep our business going. You. Your
kids.
God provided physical healing, so much more thoroughly than
expected. Our business survived and even continued to grow and we have
thanked God for all of His blessings. The medical bills have been such
an insurmountable mountain that we couldn’t do anything except trust
that God would provide, as we keep working hard. Today we were told by
our deacons that our entire medical debt has been cleared by offerings
designated for our medical bills. I cried when I received the phone
call. And I explained the tears to our two employees who do not go to
church and do not understand why anyone would give like that for someone
else.
At first I pictured you all passing around a ball cap. And I
thanked God for your hearts of love for Him that have overflowed so
richly to us. But then I forgot all about you, because I caught a
glimpse of God... just around the corner... His impression in all of
this.
