A Stranger’s Story

Last night, we went out to dinner.

That’s not really big news.  The week before we went to Subway four times.  This week, just Chinese one time, at least so far. 

While we were at the restaurant though, there were two sweet older couples eating together right next to us.  And Andy and I are kind of people watchers/listeners sometimes.  So we listened to their conversation a bit.

And it was sweet.  And it blessed my soul.

One of the couples must do work with some sort of church or Christian organization.  She was talking about the number of people they have seen accept Christ and start to grow in their faith this year.  Which, truly, is one of my favorite things to hear about….I love hearing ministry updates :)  Neither couple appeared to be from town, it sounded like they meet up at this restaurant once every few years to spend time together.

Then, she started to tell her friend a story about God’s provisions that just truly blessed my soul.  These past few weeks have been hectic and there has been some anxiety in them, and I will admit to you that I have not been walking by faith in the way that I know I should be.  And this woman’s story brought it all into perspective for me.  It isn’t a huge, deep story…it’s just a sweet little story about a Heavenly Father who provided for a couple in a sweet, sweet way.  Do you want to hear the story?

I can’t tell it as well as she did, because it is her story, but I will share the general idea of it.  Earlier in the spring, the couple was leaving to go camping in St. Augustine with some friends (it sounded like this was annual trip).  Before they left, a new friend of theirs stopped by and gave her an envelope, and he told her that he felt that God had led him to give her this, and that she was to use it.  About an hour down the road, they finally decided to open the envelope, and inside was a check for 1000 dollars. 

This year, her husband’s part time work hours had been cut back, and his taxes had been calculated incorrectly, and they owed the federal government 800 dollars, out of their salary that was smaller than before.  This 800 was going to be a real hardship for them, and they had been praying and trying to figure out how they were going to pay it. 

Then this check arrived.

And blessed they were.

On their trip, their RV tire had an issue and needed to be replaced.  They did not have a spare tire, and they needed to find a replacement.  There was a Wal-Mart up ahead, and they pulled in to see if they might have a tire.  The man at Wal-Mart said that they did not carry RV tires, but he’d go ahead and check to see (mostly to make them feel better).  They had two of the exact tire in stock.  Sitting right up front, next to the counter.  And they had not been special ordered.  The Wal-Mart man couldn’t believe it.  He said that had never happened before.  He didn’t know what to do.  So he offered them both tires for 100 dollars each. 

And the rest of their check was spent. 

And blessed they were. 

This family trusted God, and He provided for them.  Oh, it may not seem like much—taxes and tires, but I am telling you what, that woman was more than excited to share that story with her friend.  Oh, it is so sweet to trust in Jesus.