Blue Jeans
I told the Lord one time that I was in need of some blue jeans. My children had a lot of clothes given to them as other children out grew them, but a grown person was a little different. I was thin at the time and most women were not my size. I remember saying you can either provide the money or the jeans, it matters not to me, but I do not have any and need them. The next day, a co-worker walked into my office carrying a garbage bag filled with clothes. She said that her roommate was going to give them to Goodwill. She told me that this woman was "about your size and I asked her if I could bring them to you." On the top of all the clothes were about 6 pairs of blue jeans. They fit me perfectly and were all in excellent shape. It never ceased to amaze me, this was not the first time God had provided something for me just as I needed it. I am sure it will not be the last. One of the things that has always amazed me is how specifically God answers our prayers. I had not asked Him for more than blue jeans, but the fact that there were more blue jeans than anything else in the bag and they were the very first things at the top of the neatly folded clothes, let me know that He knew exactly what I wanted.
The Light Bulb
I was living in a house that had high ceilings. I did not have a step ladder of any sort and the light bulb was out in my kitchen. It was just a single bare bulb in the ceiling and when it was out there was no other light in that room. As a single mother of two it can get tiresome trying to do everything.
I could not reach the light, it had been a long day and I just had nothing else in me. All I wanted to do was cook supper and sit down to watch tv with my children. I sat down on the floor and began to cry. Please Lord, please send a tall Angel to change this bulb for me. It was a simple prayer from a desperate woman. About ten minutes later there was a knock at the door. A man from my church was standing on my porch. Jim was a married man with a slew of children. He was a respectful man and would not have come over to the house of a single woman without a respectable cause. He looked at me with a quizzical look on his face and said is everything ok? He told me that the urging of the Holy Spirit to stop and see me was so strong that he was sure the house was on fire. I looked up at this 6 foot 4 man and said, ha ha, there is something I need. He came into the kitchen, stood up on one of my chairs and changed the bulb. He was relieved that we were ok. I told him about my prayer and he was delighted that the Lord would have used him to help me. I was delighted that he listened.
Black Dress Shoes
On my way to work one morning the Lord said, bring your dress black shoes. I went back into my house grabbed my shoes and headed to work. OK, Lord, but I hope there is a reason for this, I am going to be late. I wasn't and there was. Upon my arrival I greeted a co-worker of mine. Jennifer I said, did you mean to wear one black and one brown shoe today? Jennifer was horrified, oh no, what am I going to do, I have an important meeting today with the GM, and the whole sales team, we have a new client. Hmm, Jen, what size do you wear? 7 A� why? I will be right back.
Perfect fit, perfect style, my shoes went into the conference room with an air of confidence. Why did you have an extra pair of shoes in your car? I told her that God had told me to bring them and that I had gone back into my house to get them. She was astounded, and very grateful. You see, her mother died when she was young and she had remained mad at God. But God wanted her to know that He was not mad with her, neither had He forsaken her. He wanted her to know that He cared about every detail of her life, even the color of her shoes.
Antiquing
I was in an antique store the other day. I love antiques; I have a dream of one day owning an older home filled with antiques. I walk through picking out pieces I like, marveling at the workmanship and beauty and dreaming about a day when I can buy this piece or that. Finished with my browsing, on my way to the door, I saw a man looking at a night stand. It was in bad shape and needed a lot of work. But I could see that if it was refinished and repaired it would be beautiful. I walked up and said are you going to buy it? He said he could not decide, it needed work and I replied; "Well, you know what this is, it is how God is with us, buy this, take it home fix it, work on it and while you are, think this is what God does with us. He takes us as we are, fixes us, refinishes us, and makes us into something beautiful then tells us how beautiful we are. If you do that with this piece, you will never forget."
I left him standing there studying the piece, I walked out of the store empty-handed myself, but as I was walking to the car I saw the man loading the nightstand into his trunk and heard him explaining to his wife "it is what God does with us." I smiled and nodded as I walked past and thought, I do hope his wife is not upset with me
(c) E L E Hammer 2012