Monday, July 26, 2004

220, 221 - Whatever It Takes

A quick coda to the previous post. The flip phrase "fistful of dollars" doesn't do justice to that part of the story. On that Sunday morning at church, I shared the Reader's Digest version of the story to two classes and suggested anyone interested in contributing to the cause could see me afterward. I asked God to multiply the first five dollar bills handed me and He did, to the tune of $221.



After we had helped our new friends, I totaled up the cost of getting the power turned back on, putting them up for a night in a hotel room, and buying them a random sack of groceries. Take a wild guess what it came to. If you said something other than $221, please move back two posts and deposit 75 cents.



I guess God just likes to show off sometimes. I, meanwhile, remain a work in progress. While my kids have repeatedly suggested we call our new friends to see if they want to go to church or other such functions with us, I actually went out of my way last week to avoid the outstretched hands of two guys on a street corner because I knew the boys would want to stop and help and frankly I wasn't up for it at that particular moment.



I hope you're getting the moral of this story: if you introduce your children to Christ, your life will never be the same - it'll be way less convenient. And before you know it, stuff will start adding up to 221. And through it all you may discover the road to heaven has stop signs at street corners where people need money and gas and food and you. Don't say I didn't warn you.

3 comments:

Joel said...

Maybe we have to be like kids to be truly meet Christ? Seems like I read that somewhere.

Keep it up Boonedog.

Candy said...

I experienced a similar event with my son. He was about 8. I was running late to pick him up at school and on my way there noticed a family at the edge of the Walmart parking lot with a sign looking like they really needed help. As I drove on down the road I reached over to see what I had in my wallet and all I found there was a 20 dollar bill which I promptly tucked back in my wallet. I told God if they were still there when we went back by in a few minutes I would stop and talk to them. I picked up Max and told him what about the family I had seen and asked him what he thought we should do. He said without hesitation, "We need to give them the $20 you have in your purse." I drove directly there, heard their story and handed over all I had. As we drove off they were waving wildly and so were Max and I. I still think about them and how God spoke to me through my little boy nearly everytime I drive by Walmart. Cool stuff.

Quiara said...

Thanks.