I spent 2 weeks last month helping a friend's dad roof their house on Manasota Key. It was hard work but I was grateful for it. It was probably the hardest money I have earned since college, and I was excited to deposit it in the bank. While I’ve been support raising, I’ve felt like I’m often living out of my car going from place to place. I made the mistake of putting my roofing cash in my glove box one night, so, I’d remember to deposit it. I arrived home from a long trip around 10 pm and forgot to take out the cash. Sometime that night my car was broken into and a few things stolen….one of them being most of my roofing money.
At first I was beating myself up, as most anyone would do. How could I make such a stupid mistake, especially at such a crucial time? I felt like a bad steward of an opportunity God had given me. Well, after the Officer finished fingerprinting my car I came back to the Lord to get my heart right. “Father, what would you have me learn from this? I feel like the cash represented very hard efforts on my part. It normally wouldn’t hurt so badly except it was back breaking work.” In that moment, I felt God saying….”That’s it. I wanted you to see how hard people work for the gifts they are giving you. I wanted to remind you never to take it for granted and to feel the sweat from their sacrifice.”
Somehow knowing that God was using it to teach me something very profound made the loss so much more endurable. It also helped me forgive myself and move on, knowing that He will continue to provide for all my needs.
I think I will always look back on this experience and remember how much people are giving to me. It’s so humbling. May God continue to remind you that He ultimately is the Biggest Giver of all. He has always given us more than we could ever offer Him. And He has always sacrificed more than us as well.
John 15:13,
"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friend" NIV
At first I was beating myself up, as most anyone would do. How could I make such a stupid mistake, especially at such a crucial time? I felt like a bad steward of an opportunity God had given me. Well, after the Officer finished fingerprinting my car I came back to the Lord to get my heart right. “Father, what would you have me learn from this? I feel like the cash represented very hard efforts on my part. It normally wouldn’t hurt so badly except it was back breaking work.” In that moment, I felt God saying….”That’s it. I wanted you to see how hard people work for the gifts they are giving you. I wanted to remind you never to take it for granted and to feel the sweat from their sacrifice.”
Somehow knowing that God was using it to teach me something very profound made the loss so much more endurable. It also helped me forgive myself and move on, knowing that He will continue to provide for all my needs.
I think I will always look back on this experience and remember how much people are giving to me. It’s so humbling. May God continue to remind you that He ultimately is the Biggest Giver of all. He has always given us more than we could ever offer Him. And He has always sacrificed more than us as well.
John 15:13,
"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friend" NIV
Written by Caye Siller
(visit her blog: CayeSiller.blogspot.com)
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