THE GIFT THAT WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE MINE

This morning I am anxious to tell the story of how God passed money through my hands that was never intended to be mine. For some reason I cannot just let this story lie. It is only positive and needs to be celebrated for being the Hand of God at work:

One of the things I am learning about me is that I have too active a mind. I can start to write (in my mind) several blog pages in just one sitting with God.  Ideas pop up and fly away like “crazy.”  If I do not get to the computer quickly, those ideas can be lost forever. I always assume that this is a good thing: if I write about every idea that comes to mind you and I will both go nuts.

But today I have taken a look at how much I love God and how much He deserves love from us, while we deserve none at all from Him; yet He loves us unconditionally. And He is willing to use us as conduits of His love.

One day, more than a week ago, I was praying with my fingers on the keyboard.  Sometimes, nearly always, this is the only way for me to accomplish praying for more than one thing at a time.  My mind flits about like butterflies in a field of wild flowers, otherwise.

As I was praying, a family came to mind that I hold deep in my heart and as I prayed for them again, I became concerned about their Christmas.  I told God that maybe it was time to give them a very special Christmas as they had been waiting a long while for one. Then I asked Him to give me a way to help that happen, even if just in some small way.  Little did I know….

I have a friend in another state who is very dear to me and she is living where she is because her mother is very old and is in a care giving situation. But she is in charge of her mother’s money and she has helped me twice without my asking when a need has arisen in my life: sending me the monthly tithe from that income. I keep telling her that if she keeps that up, I will stop discussing such things with her… :)  But she doesn’t listen well.

So… that afternoon I went to my mailbox and found a Thanksgiving card from her.  In it was a check for that tithe. The card was in my mailbox before I even thought to pray for the family in question.

Was that money for me? Absolutely not! That money passed through her mother’s income into her hands and then into mine, intended all along for the family for whom I was praying. God knew where it belonged and He got it there via three of His beloved daughters. He is truly in charge of all things, even when we are clueless.

Psalm 24:1 declares, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein.”

In this time of giving, let us remember who actually owns all things and let’s allow God to pass things through our hands to others.  He will get things to where they belong, but let us be eager to be the vessels through whom His work is done.

May we pause to think about who really needs us this Christmas and who really needs our hands to reach out to them with whatever we can give.  And may we truly plead with God to use us to touch others with His love this year.  God bless you all and Merry Christmas.