Mower Blades, Strangers & Sacrifice

Saturday before last, I woke up, spent some quality time under the sheets in prayer and decided to go for a routine run. I was going to run about 8+ miles (ended up just running about 6+) but at about 2.5 – 3, I felt as if my body was moving but I wasn’t getting anywhere…. My knees were killing me and I wanted to turn back. Just as I decided to keep on, I looked to the side of the road and noticed a big black thing wrapped in plastic.  It was a brand new, 42″ mower blade. I counted it as blessing since of course I had no money in my WR account. I picked it up and began running with it. I thought, 

“Some people call it a kaiser blade. I call it a sling blade. Mmmmmhmmmm.” 

…I ran about half a mile with it and decided that it might not look to good for a local coach and teacher to be running down the road with a mower blade, plus I’m not about to run another 5 miles with this heavy thing! I stashed it, only to return later. 

As soon as I got home, I took a shower and called one of my kids at school to go eat dinner with me. We went to the Moosehead Cafe, which is a place for some good ol’ southern home cookin’.  Jett wanted to know more about the World Race, so naturally, I told him. While I was sharing with him what God was up to, three older women came in and sat down at the table next to us. They were three friends from Dallas and Houston that got together at random towns twice a year for a weekend just to catch up with each other. How cool! They started conversation with us, wanted to know about the food etc and it eventually led to, “What do you do?” First, I told them about coaching and teaching here and then I told them that next year I would be a missionary…. They wanted to know more. They asked many questions and we were able to share in it all together. When these women got up to leave, one of them came up to us with tears in her eyes saying, “I want to tell you, you two have made our day. Something that we didn’t see when we were young was young men, young athletes in love with Jesus and living to serve Him. Here, (she hands me a folded bill and I almost refuse as I put it in my pocket.) I felt compelled when we were talking to you to give to this ministry.” Later, after they left, I looked and it was a $100 BILL!! My FIRST $100 in my account was from a woman who I had NEVER met in my life, a woman from a far off big city!!! I was floored as I began to tear up and thank God. 

As Jett and I hung out for a bit longer, about 15 minutes later, I got a text from my mom that said, “I just sent you a message on facebook.” I immediately checked it on my phone and it read that my great uncle and great aunt (in their upper 80s who aren’t the wealthiest people around) had given $1000!!!! I later found out that they had been saving this money for a long while and decided to give it to me! Talk about sacrifice for the Kingdom! I was TOTALLY FLIPPIN’ OUT!!!

A bit later, I went by to pick up the stashed mower blade. I took it to TSC (that’s Tractor Supply Company) and they gave me $14.60 for it!!! While I was waiting, I got an e-mail from a distant cousin that decided to give $50 and wants to keep giving prayerfully and financially! 

BOOOOOOOYAH JESUS!!!!