While sitting at a busy intersection in Florida, I was shocked at what I saw.  Across the lane from where I was, there was chaos, screaming, and yelling.  An elderly gentleman was in his car and a young woman was pounding on his window and yelling for him to get out of car.  While watching this incident unfold, I actually spoke out loud even though I was alone in the car.  “Why is she being so hateful to that man.  Road rage is totally out of control.  When I get through this red light, I’m going over there!” 

Everything changed in the next few minutes.  I noticed others gathering around the car.  Someone opened the door and pulled the man out and moved him away from the vehicle.  Then, I saw smoke billowing out from under the car.   This was not a case of road rage. This was a case of saving a man’s life. The story had a totally different ending than what I had written in my mind.

When we find ourselves in situations that seem dire, it is easy to immediately go to the end of the story – the end that we have determined in our own minds.  BUT GOD!  God has the remarkable power to change the ending of the story. 

The Bible has quite a few stories that illustrate for us that “obvious” conclusions can change when God is involved.  Let’s look at a very familiar story that painted a picture of obvious defeat as its conclusion.

Our story is found in 1 Samuel 17. The Israelite army faced a foe that would surely bring defeat.  Goliath stood more than nine feet tall, wore armor that was about one hundred twenty-five pounds, and wielded a huge sword which was tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed fifteen pounds. For forty days this giant of a man taunted the people of God day and night.  The king and David’s brothers told him to go home for he had no chance to defeat Goliath.   As David walked into that situation, all those watching thought, “Pull the curtain, this opera is over!”  The conclusion is already etched in stone!   David with just a sling, some stones, and the power of God demolished this man who was probably twice the size of David. 

What situation is taunting you day and night and has been for a while?   Do you hear its voice taunting you over and over, and it appears that the situation will bring a dark conclusion? The adversary of your soul wants you to assume the worst possible conclusion.  He wants you to resign to inevitable defeat, throw up your hands, and give up. 

Take heart, child of God!  The same God that guided a stone to slay a giant can change the ending of your story.   You walk with the same God who made a highway through the Red Sea when the presumed conclusion was defeat.  You serve the same God that watched as the enemy taunted the followers of Jesus as He hung on a cross. They heard the taunting, “It is over!”   I have a feeling that God flashed a smile in heaven and said, “Oh, it is over alright!” 

Rejoice, child of God!  If you belong to God and have surrendered your life to Him, He is the author of your story, not you.  You serve a God who can rewrite endings.  Take the pen out of the devil’s hand and put it back in God’s hand.  

“…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. “ – Hebrews 12:2.   “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:6

My husband Gaylon was a pastor for thirty-three years, and he dearly loved God’s people.  He was there for them through thick and thin.  Eventually, Gaylon became a chaplain, and though no longer a pastor, as a chaplain he was still very deeply involved in the lives of others. 

A woman who we will call “Ellie” came to our church on a Sunday morning and after the message, Gaylon led her in prayer, and she received Jesus as Savior.  Ellie was a visitor in town and would only be in our church that morning.  God had set up a divine appointment for her.   Since she was a one-time visitor, in all honesty, we did not remember her through the years.

One day we unexpectedly received a package from someone we did not know.  It was from Ellie.   She was able to track down where we were.  (Note:  there are not very many Gaylon Bentons in the world.)    She sent us some lovely items and a heartfelt letter thanking Gaylon for leading her to Jesus.   After more than twenty-five years she was still living a Christian life.   Hanging in my hallway, I have one of the pictures that Ellie sent us.  When my eye catches it, I am reminded of the great privilege of being used by God to bring life-change to another person. 

So often we hear about role models and heroes.  Throwing someone a lifeline when they are drowning is the best kind of hero one can be.  Christianity should not be passive.   You do not have to walk through fire or jump through hoops to be someone’s hero.  Just throw them a lifeline.    Sometimes that lifeline will be in the form of sharing the Gospel.  It might be in the area of a financial hardship. Other times, a person might be drowning in a sea of loneliness or a sea of discouragement.  There are so many ways to be a lifeline to people. 

I am so thankful for those who threw me a lifeline at times when I was drowning:

1. Margarita Poulos threw me the ultimate lifeline when she saw a dirty, sad little girl and introduced her to the Bible and to Jesus Christ.
2. Iverna Tompkins threw me a lifeline when I was a young, disillusioned pastor’s wife. Through her teachings, conversations, and visits with her, she taught me to grow strong in the Lord.  I was blessed with a great mentor.
3. A woman who on a Sunday morning at church noticed the ragged and torn shoes I was wearing.  Kids at school laughed at my shoes often. I was just a child, but she met me in the church yard and slipped money into my hand.  She simply said, “God wants you to have a new pair of shoes.”  That day was the beginning of my understanding that God noticed me and cared about me.
4. An anonymous hero who threw me the lifeline of college tuition when I was being forced to drop out of my Christian college due to lack of funds.  I do not know who paid that money, but it was truly a lifesaver.  I continued in my education and met my future husband the next year.
5. Gaylon Benton who was patient and loving to me during those early years of our marriage when I was an absolute mess.  I brought so much pain and baggage with me.  He truly was a hero that was used by God in my healing process.

I could continue listing people along the way who threw me lifelines.  There have been so many.   1 Peter 4:10 states, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving on another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

Who threw you a lifeline along the way, a lifeline that was life-changing?  Who had an impact on your life when it was needed?  An even greater question, “Who can you throw a lifeline to this week?”  There are drowning people all around us.  Let God use you to be someone’s hero. 

Dr. Charles Stanley recently stepped into the presence of the God he loved.   I loved to hear Dr. Stanley preach for he never wavered from truth.  I watched his life celebration service, and it was obvious he left behind a tremendous legacy.  As I watched the celebration, I was struck by the men and women of God who paid tribute to Dr. Stanley. David Jeremiah, Charles Swindoll, Tony Evans, Jim Cymbala, and Franklin Graham were among those giving honor to the life of Charles Stanley.  I was moved as I realized that all of these leaders were in their seventies and eighties.   Each of them had served God for decades and were still actively serving God. They will each leave us great riches someday. Legacy.

Our desire, while on the earth, should be to give off a sweet fragrance that demonstrates who our precious Lord is.  Legacy can leave a sweet fragrance of God long after we are gone. 

^“So, Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean? Tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” – Joshua 4:4-7

Joshua chapter four shares a wonderful story about legacy.   God had miraculously helped His people to cross over a tumultuous river Jordan.  As the last ones crossed, God had them take twelve stones  from the riverbed of the Jordan and use them to build a memorial on the other side.  They were to use these “memory” stones to pass down the story to the younger generations.  God wanted every generation to hear the stories of who God is and what He has done.  Legacy.

Over the years, I have written about the work of God in my life. When I was about to celebrate my sixtieth birthday, I decided to recall places where I journeyed with God and saw His hand at work.  For a month leading up to that birthday, I wrote stories of God’s hand on each decade of my life.  Via blog, I have also recorded many stories of times in which the Lord’s power was demonstrated in my life and ministry.  Legacy.

What “stones” have you recorded so that the younger generations will know what God has done in your life to bring you to this point?  Have you written them down so that your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, brothers, and sisters will see how God impacted your life?  Today is the day to start.  Go back and record when you met Jesus.  How did that change you?  Record times when God miraculously healed you or provided financial resources when times were desperate.  Legacy.

Gaylon and I both are hopeful that we can leave our children some sort of inheritance.  It will be small, but we hope to be able to do that.  However, we are more concerned that we leave our children with a legacy.   We want them to remember parents who walked with God and had stories to prove it!   Go ahead and bless your children with an inheritance, but more importantly, bless them with a legacy.  Write it down!  Start today.

Growing up, my family was more infamous than famous.  There were ten of us in a four-room dilapidated house.  At times there were barely enough clothes to wear and food to eat.  Not a lot of people wanted to hang out with us.  Then, Charlie came along. Charlie drew a lot of interest from a lot of people, and an article was even in the local paper telling the story of Charlie. 

I am not sure exactly how Charlie came to live with us, but I do know that my father brought him.  Charlie was a baby fawn who did not have a mother.  Across the street from our house was a huge fenced in piece of land that was littered with hundreds of pine trees.  Mr. Moise owned the land and gave my father permission to put Charlie inside the fence. 

Charlie had lots of room to run and play.   We trained him to come to one corner of the fence in order to give him milk out of a bottle.  In what seemed like no time at all, Charlie would come to that corner and wait for one of us to walk over and feed him milk. 

Over time, Charlie grew into a large buck with antlers.  He no longer needed a bottle to be fed.   Charlie got restless over time and no longer wanted to be limited by the barrier of the fence.  Charlie realized that as long as he stayed behind the fence, he would never experience the life he was born to experience.    He would never be what he was made to be unless he overcame the fence.

One day as we were sitting on the front porch, a movement caught our eye.  Charlie, with all his strength and might, made a running start and jumped that fence.  Freedom!   He would no longer be confined by the barrier whose purpose was to keep Charlie from becoming all he was meant to be. 

I wonder how many times Charlie walked up to that fence or ran up to that fence, only to be stopped by fear.  How many times had Charlie wanted out of that confinement, but felt he did not have the strength to overcome?

What fences stand between you and freedom today?  What fences have confined you from that for which God has created you?  In order to protect ourselves from pain and fear of failure, we often build imaginary fences and walls.   The walls we build are meant to protect us,  but those walls can actually keep us from experiencing the true freedom and joy that comes from above. 

In my lifetime, I have built fences because of fear, wound, fear of failure, self-image, and others.  I became confined by what my mind was telling me.  “You can never get beyond this point.”  “You can never stand in front of people and teach.”   “You can never trust a man after what your father did to you.”  The voices were nonstop.  So many times, I would gain a little momentum and run towards freedom only to encounter the fence.   Defeated, I would go back to my confined life, limited by the fence.

Think of fences as strongholds.  The Bible speaks to the issue of strongholds.   Strongholds are patterns of erroneous thinking that have taken a “strong hold” in our minds.  God had to show me that the fences I built in my mind were keeping me confined. 

We can overcome the fences or strongholds that have held us prisoner.  Though I cannot be exhaustive in this short blog, I can help you to get started.  Ask God to show you the lie(s) you have believed.  This is done by seeing the truth of what God has said.   Scripture can expose the lies that are deeply rooted in our minds.   Once we know what God has said about something, act on that.  Things might not change instantaneously but change they will!

No matter how many times you walk up to that fence and turn around in seeming defeat, be like Charlie.  Keep gaining momentum and you will scale the fence that has entrapped you.  In Jeremiah 23:29, God says: “Is not My Word like a fire…and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? ” The answer is YES!

Mary, the mother of Jesus, must have felt a bit of anxiety the day she explained the situation to Joseph, the man she was to marry.   How shall I tell him that I am going to have a baby?  What is he going to think when I tell him that it is God who brought about this pregnancy?

Mary was likely a young teen when she became betrothed (engaged) to Joseph.  Most suggest that Mary was between thirteen and fifteen.  Being pregnant at that age in those times was not a problem, however being pregnant and unwed was a major problem.  She stood to be shamed, ridiculed, and even stoned. 

After Mary accepted the will of God to bear Jesus, she had to share it with Joseph.  How would she tell him?  Finally, the day came when she had to share the news.  “Joseph, I am going to be a mother.  An angel came and told me it would happen and that this baby is the Son of God.”  Now I am using a little imagination here, but if I were Joseph, my response would most likely be, “Do you think I am crazy!?” 

The bible in Matthew chapter 1 tells us that Joseph was troubled about the situation and struggled with how to handle it.  He had the right to shame Mary as he broke off the engagement.  Scripture tells us that he decided not to make a spectacle out of her, but to manage the situation quietly, however the marriage was off!   One night as Joseph was sleeping an angel of the Lord came to him in a dream and confirmed Mary’s story.   Joseph then took Mary as his wife and the rest is history.

What changed Joseph?   Did Mary continue to nag him?  Did Mary’s family come to him and tell him he was wrong?  Did the priest tell him to do the right thing?  No, it was God who changed Joseph’s mind and heart.

So often we think it is our job to convince someone of what God said.  Mary told Joseph what God had revealed to her.  It was not her job to convince Joseph to live by God’s revelation to her. Mary had to stop striving and start abiding.  Mary had to be still and let God be God.   Mary had to trust God with Joseph. 

Are you struggling with someone who will not walk according to what God has said in His word?  Perhaps it is a child who has forsaken the faith or no longer speaks with you, a spouse who will not do the right thing, a person at church who seems off the right path, or someone at work with whom you have shared the faith.  It is easy to fall into the trap of “it is my job to convince them.” 

Is it possible that God wants you to be still and know that He is God? To trust Him with the seeds you have planted?  To trust Him to work in the situation?

So, what can we do while we wait? Here are a few suggestions of what to do instead of constantly trying to convince the other person. 

The process is hard sometimes.  It is frustrating at times.  Only God can change a heart, but the truth is God CAN CHANGE people.  There is an old saying that has been around for decades, “Let go and let God.”  Sometimes that phrase can produce laziness when one expects God to do it all.  Yet, there are times that we have to place it at His feet and trust Him to work. 

Beep … beep … beep.  As I backed out of my garage, I had a lot on my mind.  The radio was playing. I was checking my GPS.  Beep … beep … beep.  The sound was definitely there, but I was oblivious to it.   The warning was loud and clear, but I just kept backing out of my garage paying little attention to the beep … beep… beep.  Suddenly the sound was rapid and loud.  BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!  The next sound was a CRASH!  I had backed my nice car into my husband’s nice SUV.  My car was programmed to get my attention to alter my course, but I did not pay attention.

As we walk with the Lord, there are times He steps in to alter the course we are following.  There are many ways God can send a beep … beep … beep.  He can speak to us as we read His word.  He can speak to us through another person or a song on the radio.  He can allow a meeting we were excited about to be cancelled.   There can be a change in circumstances. Someone else got the promotion. God, at times, does send us a message saying, “Alter your course.” 

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). As humans we should make plans, but we must always ask God to guide our steps and change our plans when He sees fit.  There are times that God has to redirect our steps because the path we are on is not in alignment with His will.  When this happens, it is easy to get angry or agitated.  It is easy to think things are falling apart when they are actually falling into place to line up with God’s best.   The steps of a righteous man are ordered by God, but so are the stops of a righteous man!  Pay attention to the beep … beep … beep that heaven sends.  God is always out for our good.  ALWAYS. 

Are you going through a beep … beep … beep right now?  Stop and ask God if He is sounding an alarm to change course.  What might seem like an annoying sound in your ears could be an interruption from God bringing a different opportunity.   Some of those interruptions could be clothed as unique opportunities from God.   An opportunity from God is always better than a CRASH! Trust God when He interrupts your plans.

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” – Proverbs 19:21

As a child, we had few toys with which to play.  Of course, video games were unheard of, and though board games were probably available, we were too poor to own any.  Our play was all outside, and I mean ALL!  We would play from sunrise till sundown. 

My dad arose each morning at 5:00 to shave, have breakfast, and catch a ride for work.   Ten of us lived in a four room house, so when one arose, there was little sleep after that. That meant lots of playing time. Having eight children meant there was rarely a time that we lacked playmates.  Add in the neighborhood kids and it was a party! We played, played, played!

During the summer when daylight was longer,  we would be out playing for many hours.  We paid little attention to the fact that darkness was beginning to surround us.  Suddenly my father would sound the alarm.  “Barbara, Laney, Bubba, get in this house right now.  Come out of the dark.”   We had been so content enjoying life, that we did not realize that darkness had overtaken light.  When we heard our father’s voice and looked at him standing in the light of the porch, it was evident that darkness was all around us.  It was only by seeing my father in his light that we could see the dark place in which we found ourselves.

It is not breaking news to say that darkness is getting thick.   We are all aware that darkness is upon many nations including ours. I dare say we even find it in many churches. This has happened in the areas of sexuality, gender, marriage, violence, and many others.   How do we know if something is dark?  We look at it in the light of the Father’s word.  In the light that the Father provides it is not difficult to expose darkness. 

Ephesians 5:14 tells us, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” (NLT). Just as my father said, “It is time to come in out of the dark,” God is calling His children to get up, to move from a sitting position, to wake up, and to move forward into the light. 

Is it possible that you are dabbling in darkness?  Is it possible that you have become comfortable in the culture?  There is only one way to know.  We must compare our lives, our decisions, and our actions to the light of Father’s word.  Complaining about culture does little.  If God’s people will live in the light of the word, it will have an effect on the culture. 

As we prepare for this Easter Sunday, let us remember that Jesus died to dispel darkness.  As children of God, the blood of Jesus broke the darkness in our lives.  His Spirit dwells within us and his glory is upon us.  Awake!   Shine!   Of all the things on your to do list, let the top thing be to arise and shine your light for the Lord. Every minute, every hour and every day SHINE.  This is your call to action. This is your mission. Arise! Shine! It’s time to glow in the dark.

Pray with me a prayer I recently read and find it to be powerful. “Father, I’m pressing into You. I’m basking in Your light until it becomes mine. Lord, make me stronger and abide with me as my heart speaks to You. Direct my steps and give me courage to speak of the good news to anyone who will listen, because the time of Your return is upon us Jesus. Thank you for your sacrifice that is still powerful today.  From this moment onward I deny myself as I follow you. May I become less as you are glorified within me. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!

Recently, my mind has taken quite a few strolls down memory lane.  It has been kind of fun to recall things that happened at school, home, and with friends. For decades I never wanted to reminisce about growing up because it was not a great time.  Life was hard in that old dilapidated, four-room house where ten people lived. 

Today a memory played over and over on the projector of my mind.  I want to share that memory. The reason I am sharing part of my story is to give hope.  My purpose today is to say, “There is healing in the Name of Jesus.   There is hope in the Name of Jesus. There is new life in the Name of Jesus.” 

I was only six years old.  Six years old should be such a fun time for a child, but I found myself hiding in an abandoned building sobbing.  Family is supposed to be the safest place on earth, but what happens when it isn’t?  Just one hour earlier my life was forever changed through the abusive actions of a close family member.  That abuse would continue off and on for the next twelve years.  After leaving for college, the abuse stopped, but the fear, anger, trauma, and shame would live with me for years. I was trapped in a prison built by trauma.

That was a sad time, but today I am here to testify of the goodness of God.  I just came to proclaim that we do not have to be held hostage by the pain that family or anyone else has inflicted!   When one knows Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, there is healing for a broken heart, a broken dream, and a broken life.  I wish someone had explained to me that Jesus wanted to open the door of the prison cell in which I was trapped.

Satan does not care how we react to events that have traumatized us, as long as we don’t turn to Jesus Christ for true healing.  The devil loves it when we succumb to the pain of life, rather than let healing waters wash over us.  It took me quite a few years to get there but get there I did! 

In this brief narrative, I cannot possibly cover the whole process of my healing journey.   Childhood trauma is not an easy subject to discuss, yet so many need to be heard and healed.  

Today, I’m mad!  I am mad that the devil has convinced so many that they will forever be in a prison of what someone did to them.  Trauma is inflicted on far too many.  I personally believe it is an epidemic in today’s sexually charged, dysfunctional atmosphere.  I want to shout from the rooftops that there is HOPE, there is HEALING!

Many come to Christ for salvation, but never know the joy of being healed by His power.   Today, I can testify that I am not just living – I am thriving!  I found the source of true healing, and my hope is that I can help others to find that same healing. You can live an abundant life!   You can thrive!  You can get your life back!  Healing changes life!

If you are someone who is trapped in a prison cause by childhood abuse, let me say that I am so sorry for what you experienced.  I literally get choked up thinking about what has happened to so many.  What happened to you is inexcusable.   I wish I could be right there right now and wrap my arms around you. 

The healing journey is not always an easy one, and it looks different for each person.  The road usually requires companions to accompany us – a good counselor, a loving family member, a small group, a great church family, or other resources, and the most-trusted companion of all JESUS CHRIST.

Abuse is a sad reality, but it is not beyond the healing touch of God. The Lord God can redeem and restore. I am one of millions who can sing the song of healing. God wants to heal YOU.   

Ephesians 3:20 tells us, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”   This is my new reality.  How, might you ask?  I am no longer in that old, abandoned building.  I now live in a house of love, built by God and family.  My companions on the journey helped to bring about healing. I have lived a life beyond what I ever imagined.

Ephesians 3:20 is also for you!  God can and desires to do more than you can imagine in your life.   Join hands with God and other companions and start the journey of healing today! 

As an elementary school student, I learned reading, writing, and arithmetic. Unfortunately, I also learned that I was poor, dirty, and unpopular.  I am not sure I had ever realized that before being a pupil at Willow Drive Elementary.  Over the six years spent at the school, I became increasingly self-aware and in my case that was not a good thing. 

A memory of fifth grade has been rolling around in my head today.  Each day at recess, we played kickball.  I was a captain and another girl that we will call Beth was a captain.  Each day we would make the same choices of who would be on our team.  One by one we called their names and they came and stood with us as we prepared for the battle on the kickball field.  My team always consisted of the not so popular or not so athletic ones.  Beth would always choose the popular kids and the athletic kids.  Every single recess, my team got pulverized. We could never defeat them. 

One day it dawned on me that the problem was my choices.  Because my mindset was that I was less than or felt rejected, I would never allow myself to make victorious choices.  (That was my mindset, not necessarily those of others.)  I chose to walk in defeat, rather than rise above the lies that I told myself.  Lies like:  nobody wants to be on your team, those other people don’t like you, you will always lose because it’s what you were born to do.  Lie after lie filled my mind.  

I’m not sure what happened, but on a Thursday recess I decided to choose differently. I chose athletic kids, I chose both popular and unpopular people.  I chose differently because I was tired of being defeated.  I can still clearly picture the look on Beth’s face. She was shocked that I would dare choose differently than before, and she wasn’t happy about it.  I marched on the field ready to play ball.  We smoked them that day!   I jumped.  I shouted.  I smiled.  I experienced victory!  

What was the difference between that Thursday and all those other days?  The difference was my choices.  I chose to override what my mind was telling me, and I would take authority over those thoughts, and I would position myself for victory.

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Colossians 3:1-2. (ESV)

As a child of God, we do not have to stay defeated by our thought lives.   As I sat with the Lord this morning, I began to realize how easy it is to live like that fifth grader, never expecting to have victory and making choices that promise defeat.    Too often, we hear about peace from God but never experience it.  We hear about victory from God but feel defeated.  We hear about the joy of the Lord but remain sullen.  Why?  Mindset. 

As believers, you and I have been raised with Christ and we are to seek things above.  We are to set our minds on things above.  That is a choice.   Beth was not happy when I made the choice for victory.  The devil will not be happy when you decide not to keep your mind filled with the problems of earth and a mindset that says that it will always be this way.  There is  a phrase that’s been around awhile and one that we would do well to use.  When we walk out on the field of life and Satan is ready to defeat us, we should be very vocal and very firm, “Not today, devil, not today!”   I must choose to keep my mind stayed on Jesus and the work He has done in my life.   I am going to live and experience the victorious life that is mine!

Today, I am going to walk out on the field of life and choose victory!  Even if Beth is staring me in the face, I choose victory.  Even if Satan is whispering in my ear, I choose victory.   Today, I choose to keep my mind on Jesus Christ who is sitting at the right hand of the Father making intercession FOR ME!  I choose victory!  How about you?

As I sat in our first church service on that Sunday morning in 1972, I was trying to worship, but fear was interrupting my focus on God.  Gaylon’s first pastorate was in Camden, South Carolina.  It was a small congregation in a small building in a small city.  At age twenty, I really had no clue what it meant to trust God.   One of my greatest fears was how we would pay the bills. 

Gaylon and I had worked all week moving into the church parsonage which sat right next door to the church building.  We had been married less than a year and had accumulated little in that period of time.  Our furniture style was early pastoral!   By the time we moved into the house and got things straight, we were out of money.   Our cupboards were bare, and I do mean B-A-R-E!  We had nothing to eat in the house and were awaiting our first paycheck after that morning service.   My mind was filled with “what are we going to do” thoughts.  My situation definitely appeared bigger than my God. 

That morning after the service, a couple invited us to go to a local restaurant for lunch.   (I really wanted to do a Holy Spirit dance!)  We gratefully  accepted their invitation and we were taken to one of the nicest restaurants in town.  We both had wonderful steak dinners, and afterward, we received our first very small check.  VERY SMALL. 

By the next weekend, our bank account was still barely breathing.  I thought to myself, “Is this what ministry is?  Go to church, smile, and starve!”   As we entered the door of the church on our second Sunday,  we were broke again and the cupboards were bare.  I just wanted to get to the end of the service and get another small check.   The same couple came up to us and invited us to lunch again.   Once again, we were treated to a great lunch and received a paycheck. 

The next weekend rolled around, and I perused the cupboards in my kitchen, finding only peanut butter and bread. But my faith arose!  I knew that the same couple would surely take us to another fine restaurant.  I could not wait to see where we would go.  I was a child of God and only the best would come my way!

Following the service of our third Sunday in Camden, Henry and Trixie walked up to us again.  I smiled big and was ready to walk through the doors of another fine restaurant.  Henry gave Gaylon his check, said goodbye, turned and left.  There I stood at the parsonage door instead of the restaurant door!  “God, where are You?”  I felt God impress on my heart, “I am right here.  Will peanut butter and bread feed you?  Will peanut butter and bread meet the need? I promised to meet your needs not your wants.”  That Sunday’s lunch was peanut butter sandwiches.

I learned a valuable spiritual lesson while eating those peanut butter sandwiches.  I learned that my “wanter” was bigger than my “needer.”   Oh, I know those are incorrect vocabulary words, but those words  express so well the lesson I learned!  That day God Himself taught me His word.  “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” – Philippians 4:19-20. 

At another pastorate, we faced difficult financial times in the church.  There was not enough money to pay the bills of the church, much less meet our personal needs.  I remember Gaylon coming home, and with tears in his eyes he told me what happened that day. He and his secretary spread the bills out on the desk and asked God to provide.  Shortly after that prayer in the office, a member of the church stopped by the church.  He and his family had been gone for a while, and he wanted to drop off their offering.  It was enough to pay the bills that were due.   There was a whole lot of shouting going on that day!

Presently, we are in tough times in our country.  Inflation is affecting us all, and maybe you find yourself overridden with fear instead of faith.  How will we get through this?  What does the future hold?  For the child of God, it is imperative to remember that He made a highway through an impassable Red Sea; He fed five thousand with a little boy’s lunch; He flew in Elijah’s meals on the wings of a raven; God made manna out of dew in the desert so His people could eat; He provided money from the mouth of a fish to pay a tax bill!   The Bible is filled with stories of God’s miraculous provision.

God does meet the needs of His people.  God does sustain us.  Whether we have a peanut butter sandwich or a ribeye steak, He  provides.   

Is fear gripping you today?  The Psalmist tells us what to do.  “So, my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. I remember the days of long ago;  I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. I spread out my hands to you;  I thirst for you like a parched land. Answer me quickly, Lord.” – Psalm 143:4-7

Stop and remember the goodness of God.  Recall the times He has come to meet your needs (not your wants.)  Jot those things down.  Meditate on the works of God.  Spread your hands out to God and ask Him to do it again.  He is the way maker, miracle worker!  That is who He is.