The Giver

Standing at the counter, I was waiting for my credit card to be approved. My purchase was small, a little of this and some of that. Groceries, not that exciting of a purchase, unless you happen to be my son who gets extremely excited when the fridge offers him a variety of choices.

She came up behind me and stuck something in my hand. The grocery lanes were full, checkers were all at their posts. Where did she come from? 

I examined the wad that had been thrust into my care and looked at her with question. She had already flown back to her post. I finally spotted her. She was the one glowing. She nodded yes as she said, "Put it where it needs to go. You know!" she said.

Clearly my puzzled expression said to her that I had no idea where she wanted me to put the $10 she had placed in my hand. 

"You know, the church. You put it where it needs to go the most." 

Everyone, myself included was mind boggled by her complete trust to put her money where I thought it needed to go. I looked around at our puzzled audience and nodded my head in agreement, like this was a common trust that had been established for a long time. 

That $10 stayed in my hand for the longest time. I kept straightening it and staring at it, hoping that it would somehow speak to me of it's resting place. Alexander Hamilton continued to gaze off-center not even noticing that I needed some advice.

I finally made a temporal decision. I would not put the money anywhere.......for awhile. I would just wait and see how the Lord would direct me to a need. 

So I crammed the bill into my underwear drawer and let it be.

Should I put it in the church offering?

Missionaries came to visit our church one Sunday, should it go to them?

Suddenly a knowing settled on me. 

There is a single mom that I know that has been very, very ill and has not been able to work. 

She would be the recipient of this kind woman's generosity. 

I gave the offering to the one in need. With a grateful heart she received the small token as from the Lord. 

The Lord has opened my eyes to several applications from this experience, but there is one that weighs heavy on my mind at this time.

It was amazing that someone, she does know who I am, but does not know me well, trusted me with her money to put where I felt it would do the most good. Isn't that what the Lord does all of the time?  He is the One who gives us the power to make wealth, and then He blesses the works of our hands. On top of that He trusts us to be good stewards of that wealth. 

I must confess, I fall short of always being a good steward. My husband and I are faithful tithers and believe wholeheartedly in the promises of tithing. We have seen the Lord bless the tithe on a regular basis. But beyond the tithe, am I using what has been given me with responsible care? Not always. Not like I did with that $10 dollars that was placed in my hand. 

I felt totally responsible to place that money in the appropriate place. With great care and concern I sought the heart of the Lord on the matter. I was not disappointed where He aimed my compassion. 

Ten dollars seems so small compared to the storehouses He has entrusted to me. I desire to be more conscious of where my offerings go.

I know that I will see the giver again and I can hardly wait to report to her where her offering went. I have a feeling that she will be more than satisfied. 

I anticipate another day..........That Day when I stand before Him.......I pray that He will look upon the choices I have made and be pleased. I hope I will be among the ones who say, "When did I do that for you?" and hear Him reply, "When you did it unto the least of these."

I am pondering these things now, but I don't intend to waste this lesson. I pray that my pondering will soon be put into practice.

Selah~

Cheri