A most unusual encounter with God's secret Santa

As you might imagine, I've gotta lot in the bloggin' hopper, but I had to interject this true story that happened to me today.

Lately, now that the weather's cold, I've been doing less wood-hauling down at Crane Acres and more work on various job prospects and writing projects. So today found me working on a worldview small group curriculum at the Starbucks in the SuperTarget here in Avon, IN. (Those of you in the area know the place. :)

A lady standing in line saw my Bible on the table and asked me about it. I explained to her what I was doing and we struck up a brief conversation. She mentioned that she was a Christian and she asked if I was a pastor. "Close," I said. "An ex-pastor." We concluded our conversation and I went back to my writing.

About a half-hour later she found me again and hurried up and thrust a Target gift-card in my hand (in the amount of $100). She quickly explained that she felt God telling her that she was supposed to give it to me. Needless to say, I was speechless. And then she scurried out the door, seemingly afraid that I might run after her and try to pay her back on the spot. I was barely able to offer a heartfelt "Thank you very much!" before she was gone out into the rain. I just stood there for a minute truly mystified at what had just happened.

What particularly struck me about this unexpected gift from a total stranger was, first of all, that a total stranger would do something like that. And secondly, that she would do that particularly during these very difficult economic times.

But what moved me that most was that God has not forgotten me and my family as we continue to try to get our feet under us. Though I have been pursuing any viable job leads, we are still waiting to see which doors are going to open. And yet, the bills and other financial obligations are still ever-present. But God knows our needs and He knew that this woman would cross my path today to help us meet those needs. It was an amazing experience.

[An interesting footnote: A couple of hours earlier I had been driving around Avon trying to figure out where might be the best place to hunker down for more writing. (One can only loiter around Barnes & Noble, Panera Bread, and Starbucks so many times in a given week. :) For some reason--yet to be discovered at that point--I actually said a little prayer asking God to help me find a new and better spot to finish out the day. Not long after, He brought the Target Starbucks to my mind. I haven't been there in I don't know how many months, even years. Little did I know...but He did. Incredible!]  

Comments

[Mandy Leech]

Too cool, John. Not surprised. God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.

[chris corwin]

> What particularly struck me about this unexpected gift from
> a total stranger was, first of all, that a total stranger would
> do something like that.

have you never done something like this for other people?

that surprises me.

it seems like something like this happens to me at least twice a year, and i try to do it for others a few times a year, too.

in any case, good timing for you i'm sure!

how fun!

[John]

Well, I have been known to engage in the occasional random act of kindness to the strangers that pass through my world (but unfortunately, not with the kind of regularity that my Christian faith calls me to).

That said, I have never in my life given $100 to a total stranger. Maybe you have done that, Chris, and if so, you're a better man than I. But it's that reality which struck me even as it was happening.

[Resident Atheist]

This is when I envy the religious. I think it is such a great social network and support system. If people need religion to feel compelled to do these amazing acts of kindness, then that's when I appreciate that religion is there for them.

Man I'm glad the world isn't full of selfish people like me.

[Peter Eicher]

That's awesome, John!

[John]

RA, you're in good company. We all suffer from selfishness, regardless of our religious persuasion. In fact, that is the daily struggle (as anyone who is married can attest), putting others' needs ahead of our own. Even Christians, for all the good we may try to do for others, aren't immune from the struggle. But it is our faith which helps to make the Christian ideal of selflessness a more frequent occurrence. The goal is to imitate the example of Christ. As the apostle Paul summarizes in Philippians 2:3-7: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. Who, being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant...." The goal is to try to achieve that threshold as often as possible. But we all need reminders from time to time, which is what that unknown lady did for me. And for that I'm grateful.