April 5, 2019
The Gift of Giving
Part 1
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you (Luke 6:38, NIV).
Friend to Friend
My requirements for a car are simple and few. It has to run. And it has to have both air and heat. I don’t like car payments. Cars are not my “thing.” Consequently, we have bought many used cars and have even been given a few cars over the years. We drive them until they die. And then God provides another car.
A year ago, the car I was driving died. Since it was the beginning of summer and Dan was scheduled to have a month sabbatical in addition to his month of study and vacation time, we decided to wait on making a car decision. We could make it a few months with one car … or in our case, one truck.
I had one last speaking engagement to do for a friend, but since the event was within driving distance, we decided to combine it with a trip to Texas to visit family. It was one of those events the Lord told me to do for free. The church was small, and the friend was starting a women’s ministry in a small Kansas town that had literally been blown away by tornadoes several years earlier. I really wanted to help and encourage her in any way that I could.
The plan was simple. Dan and I would drive his truck to Wichita, Kansas and fly to Texas to visit family for several days. We would then fly back to Wichita and drive to Greensburg for my event and then drive home. Simple – right? Not so much.
When we got to the Dallas airport, we discovered that our flight to Wichita was booked for 10:00 pm instead of 10:00 am. You need to know that my husband has booked hundreds of flights over the years and never made that mistake. Since I had to be in Greensburg that night, we rented a car and drove to Wichita where we turned in the rental car and climbed in Dan’s truck.
About an hour down the road, the air in Dan’s truck went out. It was a hot summer’s day. The temperature in Dan’s truck began to climb. When it reached 92 degrees, I began to boil.
I am already calculating how much this “free” event is costing. Yes, I am very human. I have severe back problems. We had already stopped twice between Dallas and Wichita to buy giant bags of frozen peas. They really do work well as ice packs. So my back is killing me, I am sweating like crazy, and well … let’s just say that I am not a happy camper at this point of our “free” event trip.
We found an auto parts store in a small town and decided to see if they could help us. It is 4:50 pm on Friday afternoon. Maybe all the truck needs is Freon! The storeowner comes out, raises the truck hood, shakes his head and says, “Freon is not gonna fix that!” Evidently some belt had shredded which meant some rocker arm had frozen. As I said, cars are not my “thing.”
With a smile, he said, “Pull her around back, and we will see what we can do.” I am thinking he can’t do much. The store is about the size of my kitchen and sits in a town in the middle of nowhere. I am such a giant of faith!
But I did manage to eek out a prayer, “Lord, please send angels with the parts we need!”
Only a few minutes had passed before the storeowner came walking toward us with a grin on his face. As he blew the dust off of two boxes, he said, “Well, what do you know? I do have those parts.”
God came through!
And then the whispers of the enemy also came through. I could only imagine how much the parts and labor would cost. The expenses for this “free” event continued to add up. A rental car … two giant bags of peas … and the now repaired air conditioner on Dan’s truck.
When the parts were installed and we were ready to leave, the storeowner handed Dan the bill. A look of surprise … or maybe shock … covered Dan’s face. I couldn’t bear to ask until we got in the truck and drove away.
“How much was it, honey?” I asked. Dan smiled and said, “About a fourth of what I expected it to cost.”
We drove in silence for a few minutes … basking in the perfect provision of God for every need of our lives … even when our faith is pitifully small. You just can’t out-give God.
Don’t miss the rest of the story in my next devotion. As my Mama used to say, it is a “humdinger!”
Let’s Pray
Father, forgive me for doubting You. I am so human and so weak. Help me grow in my faith and my ability to trust You. Today, I choose faith over fear, trust over worry, and victory over failure! In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Think back to a time in your life when God came through … even when you doubted Him. Thank Him for the way He meets every need in your life. Trust Him to meet that need you are facing right now. Read and memorize Proverbs 3:5-6.
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