“… my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
With Easter, and our annual ‘Sticky Bun’ Breakfast coming up, it was time to start gathering supplies. Noting a few of the items were on sale at the local grocer, I started there. Paper Towels met my criteria of both of need and discount, so I bought 2. That was 4 days ago and I’m still looking for them!
Organization has never been a strength for me, but now that I am older I have at least found an excuse! Going through the line, trying to gracefully push the VERY SLOW check out guy, I bagged my own stuff and rushed out to do the next thing. It wasn’t until last night that I realized, 4 DAYS LATER, that I must have left the paper towels sitting at the cash register!
I felt dumb… Stupid even! But feeling didn’t help the fact that the church still needed paper towels! Setting out to remedy the situation, I called the store and laid it on thick, using every method of influence I could muster. “This is REVEREND McCay, and I really need your help!”
Now everyone knows there is not much ‘reverent’ about me. Case in point, I only use ‘The Title’ when there is an advantage to gain from it. Jesus’ Church needed paper towels, I had the receipt, but not the towels, so I wanted to know if there was a solution. Maybe someone found them after I left the store… or somethin’. Deservedly, the lady on the other end of the phone simply laughed saying, “Call tomorrow and lay that on the day manager.”
I am a fool, I made a mistake, I lost money doing it and the need still exists because breakfast is coming up Sunday. That feeling pervaded my whole sense of being last night at the ‘Maundy Thursday’ silent communion service. Life has been crazy, hectic and unsettling for me lately. With lots of issues coming at me at once, I honestly couldn’t even pray hard enough to get my prayer above the ceiling. “Lord… help me.” Was the underlying theme of every sentence. When I was done, I still felt like a loser. But duty calls, and it was mine to both greet and say goodbye to the participants. I went outside to do just that.
Everyone said how beautiful the church looked and how much it impacted them, as God reached down in the silence and touched each one. With background music from ‘The Passion’ setting the tone, a reverent sadness filled each heart as we all tried to grasp how the Divine could work through such horror. And then…
Looking toward the parking lot, I saw Ray coming up the sidewalk carrying the biggest package of paper towels I have ever seen! I hadn’t mentioned our need… he just brought them! And all I could do was stare, as I felt the smile of God and His nudge to recall this verse. As I closed my eyes and breathed out, “Thank you Lord,” I sensed His wink!
Hallelujah… What a Savior! Is He yours?
