Wednesday, October 29, 2014

HE is in the Details

Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.

~Psalm 115:1
Please note: Nothing in this post is intended to bring glory to myself; nor am I seeking praise or pats on the back. My heart's desire is to testify to God's faithfulness, and attention to detail.
All glory to GOD!

For my birthday, my mother-in-law gave me money to spend however I want.
(LOVE when she does that! *grin*)
My intention was to spend it on some new clothes. And when I got an email from my favorite store last week that they were having a 40%-off-everything-sale, I knew it was time to go shopping. *bigger grin*
So I went.
With every intention of using my birthday money.
The thing is, when I finally found something I liked we had to order it on-line because they didn't have my size in the store. Which meant, I couldn't use my birthday money. I had to use my credit card - can't pay cash on-line, ya know.
So I left the store, and still had Ben in my wallet.

The next day I was sitting in church listening to a sermon from Acts 4 - in which, "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had." (v.32) And God's Spirit reminded me of that money in my wallet. And I began to wonder if someone in the church had a need which could be fulfilled by that money. Which God had kept me from using.
As the sermon continued, I found myself convinced that I needed to give that birthday money to someone before I left church. And I prayed God would show me who that "someone" was. Often at the end of the service, an announcement is made that anyone needing prayer may come forward so a member of the prayer team may minister to them. I figured that would be a great time for me to meet the one God had put on my heart. And several times as the service went on, I prayed God would lead me to that one person.
However, this week that announcement was not made.
The service ended, and I wondered, How am I going to find who needs this money?
At that moment I stood up and glanced across the sanctuary. In the section adjacent to mine I saw a girl who used to be in my Sunday school class, standing with her grandmother. We waved to each other and I went over to say, Hello. As Grandma and I were talking I had the feeling she was "the one" and I asked her if she had a financial need. She did. So I took hold of her hand and put the birthday money in it.
We hugged, and said good-bye.
A few minutes later, I saw Grandma again. Only the smile on her face was twice as big as what it had been before. She had looked at what I'd put in her hand and was delighted. Told me she had a bill she needed to pay Tuesday, and now she was going to be able to pay it. So I told her about how the Holy Spirit had been speaking to me through the sermon, and she told me how God had been telling her to trust Him.

We rejoiced together over our Father's wonderful faithfulness.

And as I thought back to the previous day's shopping trip, I rejoiced again over God's attention to detail. Every.little.detail.

Karen

6 comments:

Leah Adams said...

I love this...the body of Christ being just like Jesus. Thanks for the encouragement and reminder to look for ways to bless.

Karen Hossink said...

Leah - It is so exciting to listen to His Spirit and obey. Oh, to be more like HIM.

Anonymous said...

AWESOME!!***Chera

Kaira said...

It's awesome when things come together like this! I know you benefit greatly from the giving, but it must have been such a sweet blessing and surprise to show up at church and have a current worry taken care of in such a specific and tangible way. That's the kind of thing that can really encourage someone's faith.

Karen Hossink said...

Chera - I think so, too. :)

Kaira - Yes, it can. I also just "happened" to be walking into Walmart the other day as this same woman was walking out. Good time for some God-conversation. Trusting He is in these details to encourage her faith.

Sara K. said...

LOVE THIS! God is good! :) Way to follow the Holy Spirit's leading!!!!!