I was talking to my little “brother” the other night. It’s been awhile since we’ve talked so I called him to get an update on life. He’s in college, a stud of a man, and was on his way to a party. (To our mothers: no worries, I saw pictures on Facebook and it was a birthday party – not a frat party or anything. Everyone was fully clothed and there were no pictures of alcohol.) Whew.
Anyway, we got to talking about provision oddly enough. He told me a really good story and I asked him if I could share it on my blog. He said, “definitely,” so here I am. And here you are reading this.
We’ve both been struck with awe at the way God provides when we ask Him for something. My brother was telling me that he went to a coffee shop last week and ordered a cup of coffee. When they swiped his debit card so he could pay, it bounced back. He didn’t have the money in his account. Coffee’s only like $1.86.
He said that they quietly pulled the coffee back across the counter and then stood there awkwardly. He stood there embarrassed before walking out.
Later on in the day, he was in the shower getting cleaned up when he ran out of soap. He said while he was a little frustrated (this is a man who loves to be clean), he just asked God for more soap. He said he wasn’t worried… he just asked.
Next thing you know, his friends call and he heads up to Kansas City with them on a whim to go hear Rob Bell speak. If you don’t know who Rob Bell is, he’s really cool. Google him. But they’re up there, they sit down, and ushers start passing out bars of soap.
My brother kind of just sat there and laughed, he said. Now every time he showers he thinks of the way that God provides – even with bars of soap.
Good story, huh? I thought so. It’s an encouragement to me. I’m engaged in full-time ministry, full-time ministry where I’m responsible for raising my own support so that I can live day-to-day. That means I have to buckle down and ask God for help. I have to ask others for help. And I have to trust that God’s going to provide.
