More blessings.
This past week someone succeeded in completely blowing our minds. No easy task given who we are and the people we hang with. What did they do, you ask?
They gave us an envelope with $685 cash in it…just to bless us. Who does that?
Our season of barely is ending, we’ve moved on into the stewardship portion of this lesson. Making careful decisions about what to do with this season of income and seeking God’s direction in it, so why would this happen to us now? Why now when we have gas in the car and a nearly full case of Ramen Noodles left?
We balked, objected, pleaded and explained that we’re not in need. They said they were aware but had been praying diligently about what to do with this portion of money and felt very certain that God wanted them to give it to us. We didn’t know what to do. This gift completely prostrated us. In all of our years of scarcity, no one except our parents ever gave us a dime. And even our parents weren’t in a position to give us all that many dimes since we each come from rather large families.
We took the envelope home, prayed over it, wondered over it and it sits on our desk. We’re completely humbled by the gift, neither of us feeling worthy to touch it. There’s so much need around us we could do a thousand things with it, but what does God want us to do with it? How can $685 make the biggest ripple? It feels like a huge responsibility to have this money and we know how hard the person works who earned it. We have been searching God’s direction all week.
Why did God lead them to give that to us and how could we multiply that $685 and honor God with it in an everlasting way? That was the question…
Then the answer came. Roger and I have been praying about his going on a missions trip with our church to NOLA. There’s a group going down to help rebuild a church that is a huge support to the community there and it’s still in shambles. Literally. This is a trip he wanted to go on but he hadn’t gotten the green light from God yet…that is until he got an envelope with $685 in it.
5 fishes and 2 loaves of bread. I can’t wait to see how God uses this $685 to change my guy’s life. And through him, change mine and the ripples of that, everlasting.
What kind of people hand you an envelope with a wad of cash in it and say “here, God lead me to give this to you. Do whatever you want with it”. I want to be just like them when I grow up.
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April 27, 2007 at 10:47 am
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April 25, 2007 at 9:51 am
billclark
G.
This is an interesting tension that I’m not sure I’m ever going to fully understand. Practice is important (”train unto godliness”), performance is important (otherwise what’s all this talk from Paul about running races?) but transformation is what its all about (too many versus to mention) - but what’s cause? what’s effect? what’s the means? what’s the end?
Sometimes it seems like a gestalt test - the more you look at it, the more the images flip back and forth!
April 25, 2007 at 11:22 am
obahsomah
bill clark you are always thinking!
I think the performing part is to perform before one and only one…God. When we set out to proclaim and perform our deeds as something WE are doing, not something God is doing through us, then it is showing off.
Gwen…always getting me thinking way to early! Love you!
April 25, 2007 at 12:01 pm
awarriorprincess
maybe its where the energy is coming from to begin with? maybe when we expect nothing in return? Maybe when we project the shekina shine away from ourselves? maybe when we walk away without having flown our banner at all and make people want to ask “why”?
April 25, 2007 at 1:43 pm
parke
In some unhealthy situations there really is a sense of performance. I think that it’s worthwhile noting that sometimes we mistake things for performance that are healthy. For example, non-profits frequently tout what they are doing. There is a wrong way to do this, but they know that by touting what is being done (via the power of the supporters and with the energy of the receivers) encourages even more people to jump in. And there is a certain amount of that which you’ll see Paul doing in his letters. He praises what some people over here are doing in a letter that will go around so that others will be jealous to do good things.
There’s also an element of praising God. One of my roles in life is to praise God in my writing. Part of that is pointing out miraculous moments that are clearly all God. I think another part of that though is pointing out God at work in the community around me and in the lives of those serving.
It certainly does make for a complex situation to dive into.
April 27, 2007 at 9:11 am
Gwen
True Parke, I think when there is performance but it’s not for self, that there is a bigger picture for the good of others, that’s transformance.
When I think of Performance I think ritualistic and empty, just going through the motions because we were taught that Christians live a certain way or perform kind deeds. There doesn’t appear to be any life behind it.
April 27, 2007 at 10:19 am
parke
That’s fair.
April 27, 2007 at 10:23 am
Gwen
but sad…