Storytime | I Gave and GOD Gave to Me!!

I am in awe of God! This literally just happened and let me just say God is so good to me and if he is good to me he can also be good to you! So here goes my story on how I gave and then God gave to me.

One thing I like to do throughout the week is take a walk and read a chapter from the bible alone or with a friend during my lunch break. Well today it was a hot and slightly humid day and I had just finished walking and reading Hebrews chapters 1-3 with my friend Kristyl, when I decided to stop by this near by deli to grab a bag of chips, a chicken salad and a seltzer water. After I grabbed what I wanted I left the deli and began walking back to my office. I was then met with a whisper "Can you....".

I turned and saw a skinny older man in a brown shirt who was very sweaty and had dirt caked up in is nails. I didn't make out what he said but I asked him what did he say. He then replied " Can you spare some change?". In this digital age although I try to keep cash on hand it is very rare that I actually have it on hand because I either give it to my children or use it for lunch at the local deli. So I told the man I more than likely didn't have any cash but that I probably had some change in my purse.

I rustled through my bag and emptied every penny I could find. He then asked me "Ma'am are you good at counting?" I the accountant and business owner said "Yes I am."

He handed me his change and mentioned that he was not good at counting and all he needed was about 4$ to get some fries from the store and that would be good enough for him. I began counting the handful of change separating the quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies. I was happy to report to him that he had $4.27.

At that point I was thinking I should just take him to get some food from the deli I came from but I knew I didn't have any time and I needed to get back to my office to handle some business. So I turned to him and I said " Do you like chicken salad, chips and seltzer water?" He said "he never had seltzer water but with all this heat he would drink anything". I happily handed over the items I just purchased and told him to enjoy the food and use the change for his next meal. I got his name and I told him I would pray for him. Then with a smile on my face and tears welling up in my eyes I walked towards my office and began to pray for him and people dealing with the same situation as he was.

I entered my office building, wiped my eyes and decided that I would grab a snack from the vending machine on the 3rd floor. I entered the elevator hit the 3rd floor button and the elevator stopped on the 2nd floor. The doors opened and my upbeat coworker comes on to the elevator with a cart full of sandwiches. She then says " I am on my way to the 3rd floor". I laughed and said "Me too cause I need a snack". She says "Well if a snack is what you are looking then I have it" as she points to the cart full of assorted sandwiches. She continued by saying " These are leftover sandwiches from a meeting we just had". I followed her to the staff lunch area grabbed a sandwich and a soda and went to my office and praised the Lord.

I praised him because I know that his timing is always perfect and a lot of people would say that it was a coincidence but I know God always takes care of me. I gave to the older homeless man all that I had at the moment and God then gave to me. God is so good!!

But before I end this blog post I encourage you all to open your eyes to the people around you. There are so many downtrodden people who need our help and we walk by them everyday without saying a word or acknowledging their existence simply because we are focused on our to do list. Next time you go outside pick your head up and look around at your fellow brothers and sisters who are having a hard time and think about how you can help them even if it is something small like handing them a bottle of water on a hot day. They already feel terrible about their situation, how can we help them to feel a little bit better. Remember when we are going through things we are looking for God to give to us. How can we ask God to do for us what we are not willing to do for others? Let us all do better and be a blessing unto others even if its just giving them a moment of our time.

What does scripture say about this?

2 Corinthians 9:6-8

"Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work".

Proverbs 19:17

"Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed".

Dedication

This post is dedicated to Elton the homeless man in this story and to all our brothers and sisters who are struggling to survive in this world today. May the Lord bless you, keep you, guide you, and sustain you and also connect you with people who are compassionate enough to help. Lastly, may God's love comfort you and give you hope of a better tomorrow. In Jesus Name Amen.

 Has something like this ever happened to you? Or are you feeling inspired by this story? Leave a comment below and tell me all about it.