Decades ago, while my husband and I served as missionaries in southeastern Kentucky, this account took place:
Brian
handed me a $20 bill. “Here. Use this for groceries. You can stop at the store after
your doctor’s appointment.”
I took
the money and tucked it in my pocket. “This isn’t gonna go far.”
“I
know, but it’s all we have left,” Brian said.
Earlier
that week we asked God to meet our need, but no extra love gifts arrived. This
$20 was it.
After
my appointment, I walked through the waiting room glancing about, when my eyes
fell upon a couple from our church.
Eddie
was a retired coalminer on disability due to chronic emphysema and on oxygen
24/7 and Janet, recovering from a recent stroke.
I stopped
to chat with them a few minutes, then I excused myself and headed on my way to the
grocery store.
“Give Eddie
and Janet the $20,” a still small voice whispered.
I
stopped dead in my tracks. “But Lord, we need food.” I continued to the
car, got in, and started the engine.
“Go
back and give them the money.”
What
should I do? I folded my arms atop the steering wheel and laid my head
against them. Here I was—unable to phone Brian (this being before we owned cell
phones)—God saying one thing and my husband entrusting me with the $20 to buy
groceries.
After
a couple minutes, I thought I’ll go to the store, get two $10 bills and give
Eddie and Janet their $10. That’ll work! So, I shifted the car into reverse,
checked my mirrors, and backed out.
“Give
them all of it.”
I hit
the brakes, pulled back into the parking space, not-very-gently put the car in park.
“Lord, what am I supposed to feed our family for supper tonight?”
He
didn’t need to say more.
I
turned off the ignition, got out of the car, and returned to the doctor’s
waiting room.
There
they were, Eddie bent over some, trying to breathe. Janet saw me coming and
looked surprised at my return.
I walked
up to them and took the $20 from my pocket. “This is for you.” I handed it to
Janet and gave her a hug.
“Oh
my!” She turned toward her husband. “Hun, look! Answered prayer!”
Eddie
brightened and sent a smile my way. “Thank you kindly.”
I
headed out again and, on the way home, played over in my mind what I’d tell
Brian. I felt like Jack returning home and announcing to his wife, “Don’t
worry! I bought magic beans!”—except I didn’t even have beans!
On the
way home, I had a good cry before it sank in. This is a do-you-trust-Me
moment. I dried my eyes. “God, supper’s on You.”
I
walked in the house, and there it was! His answer!
Brian had
opened the mail and laid it out for me to see—a love gift of $50. Tears flowed
as I thanked the Lord then went to share the rest of the story with my husband.
He,
too, rejoiced. And we both realized God’s answer had been on the way long before
we’d even asked Him! Indeed, we could trust God! He proved that over and over
again.
~
~ ~ ~ ~
“…Sunday was
a very happy one. After attending divine service in the morning, my afternoons
and evenings were taken up with Gospel work…in the lowest part of the town…After
concluding my last service…a poor man asked me to go and pray with his wife,
saying that she was dying. I readily agreed (to go)…the family was starving. Immediately
it occurred to my mind that all the money I had in the world was the solitary
half-crown, and that it was in one coin…
…there was at
once a stoppage in the flow of joy in my heart…’Ah,’ thought I, ‘if only I had
two shillings and a sixpence instead of this half-crown, how gladly would I
give these poor people a shilling!’ But to part with the half-crown was far
from my thoughts. I little dreamed that the truth of the matter simply was that
I could trust God…but was not prepared to trust Him only, without any money at
all in my pocket.”
Hudson
went on to explain the conditions he saw once he reached the poor man’s home—a
wretchedly poor place, starving children, and desperately sick mother with a
newborn moaning—unable to even cry.
‘Ah,’
thought I, ‘if I had two shillings and a sixpence, instead of a half-crown, how
gladly should they have one-and-sixpence of it.’ But still a wretched unbelief
prevented me from obeying the impulse to relieve their distress at the cost of
all I possessed.
…I was
unable to say much to comfort these poor people…I began to tell them, however,
that they must not be cast down; that though their circumstances were very
distressing there was a kind and loving Father in heaven. But something within
me cried, ‘You hypocrite! telling these unconverted people about a kind and
loving Father in heaven, and not prepared yourself to trust Him without
half-a-crown.’
I nearly
choked. How gladly would I have compromised with conscience, if I had had a florin
and a sixpence! I would have given the florin thankfully and kept the rest. But
I was not yet prepared to trust in God alone, without the six-pence.
To talk was
impossible under these circumstances, yet strange to say I thought I should
have no difficulty in praying. Prayer was a delightful occupation…all I should
have to do would be to kneel down and pray, and that relief would come to them
and to myself together…I knelt down.
But no sooner
had I opened my lips with, ‘Our Father who art in heaven,’ than conscience said
within, “Dare you mock God? Dare you kneel down and call Him ‘Father’ with that
half-crown in your pocket?”
Such a time
of conflict then came upon me as I had never experienced before. How I got
through that form of prayer I know not…But I arose from my knees in great
distress of mind.
The poor
father turned to me and said, ‘You see what a terrible state we are in, sir. If
you can help us…do!’
At that
moment the Word flashed into my mind, ‘Give to him that asketh of thee.’
…I put my
hand into my pocket and slowly drawing out the half-crown gave it to the man,
telling him that it might seem a small matter for me to relieve them…but that
in parting with that coin I was giving him my all; but that what I had been
trying to tell them was indeed true, God really was a Father and might be
trusted. And how the joy came back in full flood tide to my heart!
…the poor
woman’s life was saved…my life might have been a wreck—would have been,
probably, as a Christian life—had not grace at that time conquered and the
striving of God’s Spirit been obeyed.
I well
remember that night as I went home to my lodgings how my heart was as light as
my pocket…
Next
morning…the landlady came in holding a letter…I looked at the letter, but could
not make out the handwriting. …the postmark was blurred…I found nothing written
within, but inside a sheet of blank paper was folded a pair of kid gloves from
which, as I opened them in astonishment, half-a-sovereign fell to the ground.
…I cannot
tell you how often my mind has recurred to this incident, or all the help it
has been to me in circumstances of difficulty.” * –J. Hudson Taylor
Trusting
Jesus
Simply trusting every day, trusting
through a stormy way;
Even when my faith is small, trusting
Jesus, that is all.
Refrain: Trusting as the moments fly,
trusting as the days go by;
Trusting Him whate’er befall, trusting
Jesus, that is all.
Brightly doth His Spirit shine into this
poor heart of mine;
While He leads, I cannot fall; trusting
Jesus, that is all. (Refrain)
…Trusting Him while life shall last,
trusting Him till earth be past;
Till within the jasper wall, trusting
Jesus, that is all. (Refrain)
(from the hymn Trusting Jesus by
Edgar Page, 1876, public domain)
A
movie about J. Hudson Taylor, missionary to China &
founder
of the China Inland Mission (CIM):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSDJgDJToeo
#trustingJesus
#God #praying #needs #JHudsonTaylor #missionary #China #answeredprayer
#Godalwaysontime
*from
Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret ~ Chapter 4 “Further Steps of Faith” by
Dr. & Mrs. Howard Taylor
Photo
Credit: biteproject.com
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