What does faith look like? Larry shared an experience that exemplifies faith to me.

Larry wanted to tell a woman, I’ll call Jewel, about Jesus. But an inner restraint said, “Not now.” He prayed this woman would find the Lord and asked God for the right opportunity.

God heard his prayer and began to show Himself to her apart from Larry. One day Jewel brought up God with Larry.

Jewel volunteers in a local Ronald MacDonald Family Room that offers a place for family members of seriously ill children to sleep, shower, and launder their clothes. We can imagine the heartbreaking stress and financial strain of its guests.

One woman arrived and handed $5.00 and a coupon to one of the volunteers and asked her to bring her a tray of food from the hospital cafeteria. The volunteer returned and said she was sorry, but they couldn’t take the coupon and $5 wouldn’t go far there. The woman pocketed her $5 and shrugged. She asked to use the shower.

A man in worn clothes who sat reading a book on prayer overheard the exchange. After a bit, he asked Jewel, “How long will she be in the shower?”

“Not long,” Jewel said.

But the woman continued to shower for almost an hour. In that time, the man asked again when she’d be out. He wants to give her a religious tract or invite her to his church, Jewel presumed.

Finally, the man approached Jewel a third time. “I have to leave. Please give this to the woman, but don’t tell her where it came from.” The man held out a roll of bills. “My pastor gave me $90 this morning. I want to give her $35.”

“Why would you do that? Your pastor knew you needed this.”

“Because that’s how God works. He blesses me, so I’ll bless others,” he said and left.

When Jewel saw Larry, she couldn’t wait to relate this story. “God was there! God was there!” she exclaimed.

Larry obeyed the Spirit’s nudging to listen instead of to speak. A pastor gave a poor man some cash to help him through the difficult time of missing work to be with his sick child. This man shared more than a third of it with a stranger. And God used it to touch a woman indifferent to Christianity.

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! Didn’t God choose poor people in the world to become rich in faith and to receive the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?” (James 2:5 GW)

When Thank You Is the Last Thing You Want to Say

It’s easy to give thanks when you feel thankful. But what happens when God tells you to give thanks for something you resent?

Faith is displayed in surprising actions. Join me over at Made for Brave Sisterhood with Crystal Twaddell where I talk about a time God asked me to thank Him for something I didn’t want.

Question: What does faith look like for you?

Blessings,

Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash

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