CHAPTER 74
Although the leadership took a stand-back approach to our family and many other new families of their church, there were a few church members who did things for us after they got to know us, and we appreciated the help. After we opened our business, the espress O’House, one family gave us an old car to enable me to get to and from the coffeehouse. The timing was divine, and we were so very grateful. God had moved on us to give several cars away while we lived on the gulf Coast, and we can now see that this obedience was not only tithing, but planting seeds for this future need that we could never have known. Before we left Lawson, we were able to afford the purchase of a used Cadillac, and we used the car we were given to bless another minister of the gospel. His main car had worn out, and he did not know how god would provide. A friend of ours wanted to buy it, but we felt the Lord wanted us to give it to the minister. He and his wife were overjoyed. It is such a blessing to give.
Another example of true Christian love in action came from a couple we did not know very well. From the time we had purchased our home in Lawson we had water problems on the lower level. When we purchased the home, we were not informed that it had a serious problem with the sewage pipes backing up. One day during a severe thunderstorm, we experienced a bad flood in the downstairs bedrooms. The city sewer lines became overwhelmed with rain/sewer water, and our lines started backing up into the downstairs room until the rain/ sewer water was several inches deep. We called a plumber and were informed that it would not be safe to stay in the home for fear of sewer gas exposure.
We had no idea what we would do. We both prayed for god to provide a solution. In the afternoon Janie received a telephone call from a lady whose family attended our church. She was not a regular “friend”, but just a passing acquaintance before and after services. She and her husband were very nice, had two young children, and our only relationship had been casual conversations on various sundays at church. She had never called, and we had not been to their home. In fact, we did not even know where they lived. The same day our house flooded she called Janie to say that we were on her mind very strongly, and she felt the Lord wanted her to call us. Janie told her about the dilemma we were praying over. Her immediate response was “Come stay at our home.”
Janie politely said that she did not feel any danger staying at our own home, but the lady was so insistent about all of us coming over for the night, we decided to do just that. We thought it would be very uncomfortable since we did not know them well, but on the contrary, they treated us like family, and the evening was very relaxed and enjoyable. Anyone would have thought we were all best of friends.
It was an experience that showed us that God does have His followers scattered around, hearing His voice, obeying His Spirit, and reaching out to His children. The only reason we leave their names out of this book, is that after the visit to their home, we continued to be only passing acquaintances, and shortly after this event, we moved away and lost their names and addresses. May god bless them for their faithfulness.
As for the pipes, we found out from the plumber that the problem would have begun when the home was first built. The sewer andrainwater lines for the home were originally laid incorrectly, and when they were met with a large amount of rainwater, they backed up. Before we could sell the home, we had the problem repaired.
The key with all of these examples is that we must become tuned into God’s voice and God’s will for us to know whom, when,
and how to help others as God would have us help them. It is only in paying attention to our spirit and disposition to things around us that we can begin to grow in discernment. Scripture says in Hebrews:“But strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” 1As we become familiar with our spirit and the Holy Spirit working together, we will also become aware of the spiritual warfare we face every day.>