Bank, Fridge, Heart

I shared with RM yesterday all that I was learning and reading, but I have to admit at the end of it all I told him, "This is a lonely road."  He stopped me almost right away as I was about to start complaining again.  He wouldn't let me continue.  He wanted my attitude to change, to stay positive, to not fall into that trap of "woe is me".  He was right.  I was glad he didn't join me in my pity party and that he called me out on it.

Knowing that, I continued my day with a better attitude.  Then, kind of out of the blue, he said, "Oh, I forgot to tell you I got this strange email this morning."  He went on to explain how our oil supplier (to heat our house) had sent an invoice, but had included interest on it.  RM couldn't understand why we were being charged interest and so he called them.  They said it was because we were overdue and that they had sent all sorts of emails reminding us of this.  We hadn't received any emails, so RM asked them to check what email they were sending it to and discovered they had made a typo which explained why we didn't get any of them.  Hmmm....would we be still charged all this extra money?  They said they would look into it.  We hoped they would reduce our bill at least by a little.

Then, they sent an email saying the unthinkable, "$0.00 due".  They weren't going to charge us anything!  We couldn't believe it.  Who sends an invoice saying you owe nothing?  That just never happens.  I said to him, "That's our first nation!  Done!"  Actually, it was just a regular bill, but it was as if it was a small village that God had just given us to possess.  We had done nothing except to try to do the right thing and pay our debt and God had given us the village.

Later on, for lunch and part of the afternoon, my mom came by.  It was like a visit from God with flesh on.  We sat together after lunch just sharing with each other all that God was teaching both of us.  She brought our her book on the Psalms.  We discussed the many hard lessons I was learning.  She listened.  I was encouraged by her.  I don't know if the kids knew I needed that time, but they were out of the room the whole time and I just soaked it all in.  I love you, Mom!!

While she was there, RM walked in again and said, "You'll never believe this...."  He had called one of his suppliers who is always late in sending an invoice and said, "You have to tell me what I owe you if you want to get paid!"  He didn't want to make that call.  He probably hoped he'd never get an invoice, but he knew he had to call.  The supplier sent an email later, "It's on the house."  For the second time, in a matter of hours, we'd had a bill paid-in-full BY THE OTHER GUY!!!!!  WHAT?!  Another nation!?  In just a matter of hours!  It couldn't be possible.  Yet, God gave us another nation to possess, or a village, I suppose as it wasn't a big bill either, but nevertheless, we did NOTHING to get that kind of treatment - nothing.  Only God could move in these people's hearts as we hadn't asked for the favour.

To top it all off, I got a few groceries, courtesy of Mom.  As I drove the 5 minutes home from the grocery store, it just so happened that I heard a 2 minute snippet of a financial radio program.  The man on the program talked about debt and how for so many people their debt is so consuming, so overwhelming, greater than any income they have and seemingly impossible to pay off.  But then, he said, "However, when they decide to start doing things God's way, all of a sudden they find little miracles start to happen...extra money comes in unexpectedly, or a gift shows up unannounced or they're able to make extra money they didn't expect."  Then he explained how God did this all throughout the Bible, providing manna when the Israelites didn't expect it or know where their next meal would come.  Jesus fed 4000 with just a few loaves and fish.  The widow was able to pay off all her debts with jars of oil miraculously filled.  So many examples of miraculous provision. 

I'm rarely in the car and it was literally two minutes that I just "so happened" to be able to hear.    This is certainly not to pat ourselves on the back and to suggest we are doing it "God's way".  Oh no, we are just like those Israelites, sinful, full of wickedness, rebellious.....but we long to do the right thing and once in awhile, in our discouragement, God allows these little miracles, as "signs and wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm" just to keep us on track, to encourage us, to remind us we can do this, so that we don't get afraid or full of dread.

Just this week I had written about taking down our "nations".  God allowed us to take down a couple of villages this week.  But isn't that just what I read this week, "little by little"?  We did nothing except to make contact with them, telling them we wanted to pay them!  It was amazing to hear both times - no payment required.  That can only be God.

Yesterday as my mom left, I was left behind with not only our fridge full, but my heart as well.  God had done miracles that day for RM, financial ones, but in His kindness, He had filled my spiritual, emotional need as well with a "rich" time with my mom.  Talk about covering all the bases!  As Mom witnessed these miracles we talked about how God is simply a God of love.  I had just read that, "Yet the Lord set His heart in love to love on your fathers......"  (Deut 10:15).  And, just to make sure I start thinking it is because of something I've done, He says, "Do not say in your heart....'It is because of my righteousness that the Lord has brought me in to possess this land.'....Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going in to possess their land....for you are a stubborn people...."  (Deut. 9:4, 6)  Nope, it's just because He is a God of love and mercy, "For the Lord your God is a merciful God." (Deut. 4:31)  Message received.