My Thankful Story

Every year, about this same time, when the winds begin to blow in the change from summer's holiday to the next season, I am reminded of childhood;

School days spent following my sisters down the road from our little rent house to our neighborhood school,

blustery winds blowing our hair into our eyes and our papers into oblivion,

books tucked into book bags,

soggy sack lunches and the daily frets of homework...

Time when all our little family had to hold it together was God.

Didn't have money, that's for sure.

And I'm reminded much more of how God lived and moved right there among us every single day.

During this time, Mom was the sole provider for our family. Dad was in prison.

So hard times came as natural to us as wind in west Texas.

But it was during those hard times when I found the faithfulness of God to be real and true.

We were hard pressed for money, and yet never went a day without food.

Sometimes there were fresh fruit and vegetables that mysteriously appeared inside our car in bags or boxes or just laid out on the car's seat.

Other times a friendly face would bring them to us in paper bags and leave them on the porch, or hand deliver them to us during church.

My favorite time was when we all came home from church one Wednesday night, and found somebody had opened up a window... to leave us a mountain of food on the table and inside our refrigerator.

Boxes of clothes, bags of coats and shoes and sweaters, endless supplies of just what we needed just when we needed it most... always supplied at the precise moment of our greatest need.

Anonymous gift certificates for back to school shopping would come in the mail.

People would walk up to Mom and just hand her an envelope, give her a hug and a smile and then turn to go.

And we never had to beg. Never had to borrow. Never had to go one time of being without.

Small miracles on every side.

And the love overflowed and washed over us wave after wave.

I remember feeling closer to my sisters right then than I've ever felt since.

And we're still close, even now.

But the closeness during that time, it was so strong... the love of God just absorbed us inside it and clung to us as though we'd been dipped in honey.

I won't say there weren't days of wishing for things.

Our society has taught us materialism to a fault.

But our NEEDS were met. We lacked nothing we needed.

Rent was provided. Meals were had. Clothes were given.

And the blessings it brought on those who gave to our little family were just as great as the blessings they had given to us in our time of need.

I recall in particular one Thanksgiving day.

Mother had worked and saved and paid every bill.

Every utility and the rent, all paid.

But there was nothing left over for anything beyond the basics.

Mother opened the refrigerator and found all we had left was a package of hot-dogs and some bread and some canned vegetables.

Now for a kid in elementary school, hot-dogs are great.

Never a complaint about a hot-dog for any meal.

But for Mom...

well, she was very sad that all we had to eat was only hot-dogs.

But she prayed and thanked God for the food we had, and reminded us the real thing behind Thanksgiving is about the thankfulness, and not the food.

But she wished for at least a chicken or something that would seem a bit more traditional for us to remember.

And then.... the most wonderful thing happened......

Across town, a boy in our church was outside raking the yard.

He was thinking of Thanksgiving, and wondering about what other people who were less fortunate would do for Thanksgiving.

And his mind crossed over the new family with three little girls who had recently come to his church.

So right where he was, he stopped his raking, bowed his head, and said a prayer for them.

At that very moment, he opened his eyes, looked down at his pile of leaves, and there, caught among the the tines of his rake,

he saw a ten dollar bill.

He smiled, looked up and said, "Thank you Lord!" and ran into the house to show his mother.

Then he asked if she would mind going to the store to help him buy a few things for that little family with the three girls who had so very little.

He wanted to buy a turkey and whatever else was needed for a Thanksgiving dinner.

His mother said of course, and in less than an hour they were delivering a box full of food across town.

Doesn't God move in the most awesome and mysterious ways?

Doesn't He just amaze you with His faithfulness?

He sure amazes me... to think of using a kid across town and putting a ten dollar bill into a rake...

Now that was a miracle in my life.

There are many more.

But every autumn, when the leaves begin to fall, it always brings to mind

the faithfulness and wonder of our Heavenly Father....
ever reminding me to be thankful in all things.
=)