I can remember many occasions that my Uncle Wayne and Aunt Millie has said “You can’t out give God”. Here’s a story that proves just that!
On a recent fishing trip with my brother and a couple of buddies, my brother and I had a few moments to reflect on how God has blessed us in so many ways. It just so happened that only the week before opportunities to do good will to others had come my way and I thought it to be an appropriate time to share the blessings.
My wife and I had decided to replace our aging clothes washer and dryer. We discussed what to do with the old ones and had just about decided to take them to the dump. For some reason I just couldn’t do that so I called the local news paper classified ads department. To my amazement they offered free ads for articles prices at less than $50.00. I happily ran an ad to sell both the washer and dryer for that amount just to keep from dealing with them.
Well of course we had numerous calls the first day. I decided to just answer them sequentially until I got an answer on the other end of the call. The very first one answered. They only wanted the washer but I told the young lady that they had to take both. She agreed.
Her husband came that evening to get them. During his visit I was so impressed with him that I made the young man a proposition. When he offered me the money I refused it and told him that he could sell the dryer and I would take whatever he got for it. A few days later he came by to pay me and I just told him to keep it. He was amazed to say the least.
Before we could remove the ad from the paper we received several more calls on our answering machine. My wife was teetering in the decision of whether to call them back or just delete them. Deciding to do the right thing and call them to let them know the washer and dryer was gone lead us into another opportunity to do God’s will.
While calling the responders my wife discovered, through the message an answering machine, that one of them was a young lady that worked our favorite breakfast place. We wished so badly that she had called earlier.
I told my wife that God had impressed me to surprise her anonymously with a brand new washer. My wife just about came to tears with that suggestion and agreed whole-heartedly.
We unsuspectingly determined when she was to get off work and had a couple of young men waiting in the parking lot to surprise her and deliver it to her house. They reported back to me with tears of joy and expressions of the blessing they had gotten with the experience.
So many times we just don’t recognize the opportunities God gives to minister to the needy. When he provides us with the resources and the opportunity we had better do his will.
Let’s get back to the fishing trip now. Prior to sharing this story with my brother we had had very little luck in netting minnows for bait. Just as I finished the story my brother saw some flickers in the water, I cast the net and got all we needed for the day. God does help those who try to help others.
June 15, 2004