KINDNESS EXPLODES

The Lord laid this on me to share.  I know it won't sound perfect, as we all hope life will be, but God did make a phase of it perfect, for which I rejoiced.
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In 1982, Lowell, my former husband, had moved back and forth between Omaha and Edmond, OK, to be a roofer.  He was a very good one.  While in Edmond, our kids and I still living here in Omaha, he had became involved with FGBMFI [Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship International].  I was truly pleased, because I knew he was hearing the Word, involved in worship, and meeting good people.  After school was out, the end of May, he came to Omaha and moved us down.

After staying with a family, connected through friendship and spirituality, who had taken us in for several weeks, we rented a house.  It was really a nice one and I was so pleased.  I'd never been in one that beautiful.  I had received a job in Oklahoma City, about 25 miles away, only a couple weeks after our arrival to Edmond and Lowell was doing the roofing and other side jobs that were keeping us financially OK.

Then, just a few months later, life changed.  He quit the other jobs and became a taxi driver.  Believe me, the money reduced significantly.  I made enough money to pay the rent and utilities.  That was it.  Lowell made so small an amount that nothing else was regularly reaching us.

My daughter, Renae, an 8th grader, had entered a swimming team, and was working hard, and, in the evening, was rarely home.  Lowell was doing his taxi job in the evening, too.  So, once I returned from work, by 6:00, the main person at home was Steve, who was 9 then.

One evening, Steve and I home alone, were out of food except for the last portion of rice, milk, and sugar.  I boiled the rice and then we "cerealed" it.  That's all that was left in the house.  I was very worried.  And, of course, even though Steve was eating it, he wasn't exactly thrilled, either;  was obviously worried, too.  All I could do was pray over the food, and hope in the Lord.

 A few minutes later, while sitting at the table, there was a knock on the door.  I  hadn't anticipated anyone so had no idea who might be there.  When I opened, a friend, Bev, connected to FGBMFI, stepped in with 2 big full grocery bags of food.  I was stunned and overwhelmed with joy.  Steve stood next to me, eyes wide, and said, "OH! FOOD!" and was a bit teary.  [Bev told me later that his comment just burst into her heart.]  Then she said that she would be staying with Steve and I was to go grocery shopping.  She had written a check for $75 for a local grocery store that knew her intention and I was simply free to take it and turn it in when I was checking out. So I took the check, went to the store, and came home with piles of food.  Enough to last us a couple weeks.

It was not the first time that people had dropped food into my family situation.  In Omaha it occurred several times a year. But this was the first one in Edmond.  When my husband came home, he did not rejoice over this.  He was offended.  And the next morning he went to Bev's furniture store and tried to indicate that she had no business to give us food, that we were fine.  Believe me, she spoke very bluntly about how she perceived our situation, told him he was very wrong. He had to back off.

One of my blessings in life has been that people have provided food for me and my family a number of times [until I married my present husband, Dave,  9/21/85, a year after my divorce -- a miracle story].  And now one of the blessings is that we can give food, clothing, toiletries, computers, books, etc., the equivalent of a number of needs to a number of people... not because we are significantly wealthy, but because we are spiritually healthy.  Filled with a great desire to bless and help those who struggle and suffer.

My son, Steve, who is 40, has never forgotten that overwhelming blessing time.  And, as much as I've lost Bev now, I'm sure Steve's face filled with big eyes and emotion saying, "OH! FOOD!" has never left her heart.  

It certainly hasn't left mine.

The kindness of our Lord, through His servants, His people,  explodes in our lives many times.  That joyfulness, trustworthiness, can count forever.

Steve, at 9.  And a cat gift he loved.

January 17, 2013, his sister, his mom and his step-dad. And blessed!