Many things can be said about Gaylon and me, but it cannot be said that we are wealthy! We have been careful with finances especially as we approached our golden years. We have tried to be wise financially, generous in helping others, and trust God with the rest.

As I was shopping in a local grocery store, I inserted my debit card to pay for my groceries. I requested forty dollars cash back. I had not one dollar of cash in my wallet, so I decided I should get a little. The transaction went smoothly, so I headed out the door.

About five minutes down the road to home, I remembered that I did not collect my forty dollars in cash. I quickly turned my car around and headed back to the store. I hurried into the store to check for my cash, but there was no cash at the register.

Three employees were standing right by the register, so I asked if anyone had turned in money. All said, “No!”

After getting in my car and heading home once again, I was a wee bit upset. Forty dollars for us was a lot of money, especially at that time. I was sad, angry, and upset!

When I arrived home, I put away my groceries and sat down. All I could think of was those forty dollars. Finally, I talked to God about it. “Father, it is hard for us to lose forty dollars. God, please let it be in the hands of someone who really needed it. I place that money in Your hands.”

A couple of weeks later, I was in the same shopping area. There are ten or twelve shops in the strip mall. I parked far away, as I often do, to get extra steps of exercise. It was a windy day. As I began to walk towards the mall, a brisk wind suddenly blew. I looked down, and I saw paper blowing towards me and it stopped at my feet. I picked it up. It was a fifty-dollar bill.

I wanted to return the fifty dollars to the rightful owner, but how would I identify the owner? There were several stores, and I was far from the strip mall. I looked around and saw no one appearing to look for lost money. I sat in my car and watched for a while trying to see if someone was looking for the lost money. I put the money in my wallet. After arriving home, I checked all the social media groups in our area trying to see if the money was reported as lost. Nothing about someone losing money was there.

I continued looking at the groups for the next couple of weeks. No one ever posted about losing money.

Is it possible that God replaced my forty dollars and then some? I believe that to be true! I serve a “then some” God.

Through almost fifty-five years of marriage and ministry, Gaylon and I have known lean times and bountiful times. We have known times when we were not sure how we would put gas in the car for me to get to work. Serving God does not mean there will never be financially challenging times. There will be. But as I look back over fifty-five years, I can truly sing:

He’s been faithful, faithful to me
Looking back, His love and mercy I see
Though in my heart I have questioned
Even failed to believe
That He’s been faithful, so faithful to me!

Psalm 37:3 NKJV reminds us of this when the writer says, “Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.”

God’s faithfulness will be with us when seasons are good and when seasons are bad. I can declare, without hesitation, God has been faithful to me.

Are you feeling fear right now about what might be ahead? I have found that sitting down and reminiscing about God’s faithfulness changes my fearful heart to a trusting heart. Remember that you serve a God who can send a wind to blow blessings into your life when you least expect it.