God uses lost man to help the Haiti Orphanage.
Starting a new house church has been amazing. To have the freedom to serve God, the liberty to every morning wake up and say Lord what will thou have me to do today. And the freedom to actually listen and then go and do it. It has been a great start so far. Near the end of last week I purchased 4 items for a project at my home. Twice I was going to work on that project but could not. I had recently taught out of Galatians chapter 6 about doing good to all men so that truth was fresh in my mind when I saw a man post about needing help. A day later he posted again because two others who said they could help were no shows. His need was something I have the talents and experience to fix. So I respond that I could help him for a donation for the orphans in Haiti. So Monday when I got off work (yes I work a full time job) I stopped by and looked at the problem. And wouldn’t you know it, I just happened to have the exact supplies needed in the exact amount sitting at my house. You guessed it, the items I had recently purchased for my project.
I took a look at the problem and told him that I could fix it. He was shocked when I and my son came back in a few minutes with the supplies. He said I thought that you would have to go to the store. I told him it was one of those amazing things in life. That I had just purchased the exact items needed a few days before for a project at my house. The project involved some cement that had to set so I told him I would have to come back to finish. I told him that the supplies cost around 28 dollars and if the job is worth more to him than that, anything he wants to give above that would go to the orphanage in Haiti. He said didn’t they just have something happen in Haiti. Yes I said, they had another earthquake and could use some help.
When I was leaving I handed him a John and Romans that has the plan of salvation on the back and my email address. I told him that he should keep that and that it has my email address on it if he ever has questions or needs prayer. He sees what it is and reluctantly takes it. Now he is timid and looks afraid that I am going to try to preach to him and try to convert him. But no. I am not being forceful at all. Just not being ashamed and planting a seed.
So far I have not even suggested or hinted at any amount for the Orphans. I feel things should be done in faith letting God work in circumstances and in hearts. So that night I prayed that God would work on this lost man’s heart to give something above the cost of the supplies for the orphans.
The next morning he is not as talkative to me as he was before he knew I was a Christian, but he is still civil. We finish the job and make sure he is satisfied with it. Leaving he said, you said the supplies were about 30 dollars so here is 80 dollars, the rest can go to the orphans. I said amen, and gave him a heartfelt thank you.
I could tell he was again worried that I might try preach to him and he was quick to want to shut the gate behind us. My response was friendly. I told him it was nice to meet him and I enjoyed talking to him and said goodbye neighbor and left with a smile.
God had given me an opportunity to do good to all men. And God had answered prayer. That man could have paid me 28 dollars for supplies and nothing for the orphans or only 5 or 10 dollars. But God had a lost man give 50 dollars extra on that little job for His children. He truly is a helper of the fatherless.
And God used this man to remind me of something the Bible teaches. Over and over again the illustration is used of planting and watering and reaping. One plants, later another waters, and then another. Crops take time. First you need a good seed planted. Then if you over water it you will wash the seed away. If you over water it once it sprouts a little, you drown it out and kill it. To grow a crop you must plant a good seed, and then water in the right amount at the right times and then in due time comes the harvest.
God was with us in this. He gave opportunity, He let me plant a seed. This man got to deal with a Christian who wanted nothing but to help. I made no demands and let the man come up with what he wanted to do if anything for the orphans. The orphans get another 50 dollars, and I got to live out a few of God’s principals and I was reminded of a great truth of God’s Word. This was a win, win, and win as the saying goes.