PEANUT'S NEW SHIRT AND THE $100 BILL

PEANUT’S NEW SHIRT AND THE $100 BILL

Summer Storm: Lightning, thunder, wind, rain in sheets, and big drops. Fifteen minutes of torrential rain blowing hard in every direction, then done. That’s our typical summer storm here in Las Vegas. I came home from shopping, got out of my car and walked across the lawn toward the new water dish I put out for the wild birds. I wanted to see if the rain had filled it up. When I looked down, there in front of the dish was a neatly folded $100-dollar bill. My instinct made me look around quickly to see if anyone was looking for it, but there was no one around. I picked it up and put it into my pocket. I’ve picked up pennies and even quarters, but never a $100 bill. I smiled.

Someone must have lost it in the storm, but no one was coming around to claim it. And I found it just in time because a few minutes later my lawn guys came and they would have either found and kept the money, or chopped it up in a million little pieces in the lawnmower.

I tried to figure out why God would drop me the $100, but I couldn’t connect it to anything at all. I don’t believe in coincidence. Saying something is a coincidence is man’s attempt to explain away what he has no control over. I tried to tie it to some good deed, but everything I could think of fell flat, and the Lord wasn’t talking. It wasn’t until two days later that I understood.

I was buying dog food and bought Peanut, my little dog, a shirt just because I love the little guy and I thought he’d like it. Then it dawned on me that my $100 bill had come to me the same way. The Lord gave it to me just because He loves me, and He thought I’d like it. And He was right. I liked it a lot.

We receive God’s grace, not just because we are desperate, or because we pray so hard or any of those other religious things we do. We can pray and believe and fast and a lot of other things, but then there are the extra blessings God sends just because He wants to. He doesn’t have to wait for a holiday or birthday. Any day will do. It’s kind of like random acts of kindness; we have the opportunity to follow His example and drop a special blessing on someone every once in a while. It’s fun.

God told Moses: “I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy” (Exod. 33:19).

Keep it up, Lord! And thank you so much!

Love, Carolyn

QUESTIONS AND EASY CHALLENGES

1. Have you ever received a random gift when it wasn’t your birthday or a special occasion? Describe it. Why do you think you remember it?

2. Have you ever given a gift randomly to someone just because you love them?

3. How about giving a gift to someone you don’t know, just because the Lord Jesus loves them?