I Have Glimpsed God

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.