Sometimes people shock me and bless me all at once! At Walmart, a young couple buying only groceries, were $2.00 short; and they were trying to decide whether to put back the potatoes, or the oranges. They looked so full of joy, even in the midst of trying to make ends meet.
I remember a time in college, trying to make ends meet. I was working 3 jobs, and just barely getting by. A couple at church came to me, and said the Lord asked them to give their money to me, until I was married, instead of to the "church" as an organization! (That was a several year commitment they just made to me.) *Something that they had no clue about, was that I was already going to a food pantry several times each month to get food.* What a tremendous blessing that was, and an expression of the true Body of Christ!
One of the jobs I had, was cleaning houses for a couple of families. A particular family that I cleaned for, that is still a huge part of my life now, and likely always will be, were newly married, and they had me clean every week. They were the easiest people to clean for, even though they were messy! They would randomly, but consistently, pay me more than what I charged to clean their house.
What a blessing of generosity these people were to me...showing me Jesus! It truly filled me with faith that Philippians 4:19- “And my God will fully supply your every need according to his glorious riches in the Messiah Jesus.”, was for today, and for me!
So that day in Walmart, it was an easy decision to cover their $2.00 shortage. It was easy, because I was reminded of His faithfulness, in providing for me those needs that I had. It was easy, because I am eternally grateful for the generosity of others, that chose to put on Christ as generosity. I am reminded of how Paul wrote to the Philippians about their generosity as I am writing this now. It was Christ in me, that connected my heart to them. It was Christ, who flooded their hearts with such joy and acceptance, in receiving a small gesture that meant so much!
As the lady's eyes filled with tears, she thanked me over and over. When they left, the young cashier said that she has never (in her entire time of working there) seen anyone be so kind to someone else they didn’t know...seriously, it was two early morning Sonic drinks for me to bless a family with a sack of potatoes! Oh, let’s be Christ to the people we come in contact with. The supernatural manifest presence of Jesus is so wonderful and necessary, but so is the moment that Christ manifests through us, in action toward others.
Written by Gretchen Cannon