I went to the grocery store today here in Gainesville, GA to get my new roommate a few welcome home gifts; some candy and a card. As I was walking towards the checkout stand I stopped at the book section and decided to get him a daily prayer devotional. Well, the first one I picked up was pretty great; had sturdy pages, a leather type case, gold bonded pages – it seemed just perfect. I looked on the back, $10.00. I thought to myself “ah, that’s not too bad, but I don’t exactly have lots of money and I wasn’t on planning on getting this. Hmm, should I really get this?” So I put it down, then looked at the lower part of the shelf and saw another prayer devotional, and inside it had great verses, pretty much the same content, but it didn’t have the same features that I really liked in the other one. As a gift it seemed okay, but it didn’t have the “wow” factor. I looked on the back, $5.00. “AHA! That’s what I’m talkin’ about, better price.”
So I stood there. Just as I was about to choose the cheaper devotional I thought … “Wait a minute Noe, why are you choosing the cheaper one?” Thoughts instantly flooded my mind, and then it hit my heart. I was choosing the cheaper one because I could save money. Because it would get the job done, yes, in getting a nice gift, but it wasn’t the one I really liked to have given him. Really, I wasn’t being a giver. A generous giver. I was holding back part of my giving to preserve for myself. Phew! It hit me hard. I put the less expensive one down. I picked up the first one I liked.
I walked to the check out stand with the better one in hand and secretly repented to the Lord in my heart. For not believing in his bigness that he could provide the money for this. That He is so generous to me, I should be just as generous to others.
As I stand in line, the guy in front of me is almost done. To prepare, I take out my Visa card to pay for the book, I look down and across my view comes this skiny frail arm of an elderly women. I look over to my left at her, and then feel her hand touch mine. She quietly puts a $20.00 bill in the hand that I’m holding the Visa. She says “Here, pay with this, you need to. They charge fee’s for that card anyway.” I tell her no, she doesn’t have to. But she insists, with a strange but intriguing look in her eyes and demeanor. I smile big and thank her. I pay the cashier with her awesome gift to me.
Then as I prepare to leave, I tell the cashier to leave the change for the lady’s purchase but she looks at me so nicely, but firmly again, and says, “No, you need to keep that.” Almost as if she knew what was going on.
I was SO taken back! Do you know what just happened? Through a most unlikely messenger of a sweet lady, God gently and lovingly taught me a lesson, AND blessed me in the meantime. You see, not only did the decision to be a generous giver turn out well, but I didn’t even end up having to pay for it, God provided! And not only did he buy the book and lessen my worry of me not having money in my pocket, but he even gave me an extra Ten Bucks! He gave me back double portion! I walked away with more money then I even went into the store with. This doesn’t happen always, and it doesn’t need to. In fact it shouldn’t. But this time God had a story to write and imprint on the heart.
I learned that I can have some gross looking parts of my heart: Pride, hoarding, selfishness. But I also know I desire to be a giver, to live compassionately. And that faith matters, God provides for His children. And he does it abundantly!
God is just so so good.
This angel of a lady was such a great women, I won’t soon forget. A literal lesson
Oh how $20.00 means so much more than it’s dollar amount.
