When one is in a relationship, what really matters. Is it not the little things that your companion does that mean the most! Stop and think. Think of all of the little things which the Father does in blessing you each day! this includes waking you up in the morning and staying you from the sinful behaviors which tempt you during the day.
With that said, this author is not a "shining example" of purity. At best, he is a work in progress. But, he is a better man than he would have been had he not made a conscious decision that he seek after the Lord by reading His Word and submerging himself in God-fearing literature and media. And for this reason, he counts himself blessed. He could be starting his days with a mixture of cognac and cocaine. Life is hard and unpleasant for some. Lord, have mercy. (Romans 1-3). Yet, he has blessed this author so that his better mornings are filled with YouTube gospel, scripture reading, and bowl of corn pops.
As small example of how the Lord blessed this author when he was a blessing for others is shown by events which occurred on this past Sunday. The author was walking in a nearby grocery store and a gentleman asked him for a dollar so he might get himself something he could eat. He was hungry and homeless. The author, like many Americans, has funds, but his balance sheet shows a deficit. With a hundred or so dollars in his billfold which was slated for a credit card payment, he was honest with the "panhandler". He said, "things have been a little tight lately, and I really do not have it." It was not that he did not have one dollar. He did not have one dollar in his giving budget, since it had been depleted for this month from church giving and supporting non-profits, such as the local shelter, with small gifts.
As the author was exiting the store using the "self-checkout" lane, he scanned his "store discount" card. At this same moment, a man in the aisle beside him asked if anyone had a "store discount" card which he could use. The author saw that it was the "panhandler", and he thought, "Well, at least, I can let him use the card." The the homeless man said that he was fifty cents short. The author, reluctantly and without a cheerful heart, reached in his wallet and gave him a dollar. If he, he had not, he likely would have been rather ashamed, and would not be giving this report, as the the events which unfolded will show.
As a result, this pair of shopping transactions was simultaneous. One nice perk of these "discount cards" is that one earns fuel points. When one reaches another hundred in dollars spent at the store, a fuel discount ticket for a regional fuel chains appears on the receipt. Each one is worth, ten cents per gallon in fuel. The author's card must have been a couple of dollars or less from the next fuel reward. For, in short order, a ticket popped out on his register at the end of his transaction. It did the same on the "panhandler's" register. The author asked the gentleman for the extra fuel discount ticket that the automated system produced by mistake. Whether. "cybertheft", "good fortune", His Grace and Mercy, or a mixture thereof, the author had a pair of coupons for ten cents off per gallon on his next purchase of fuel. With an economy car, which will hold slightly over ten gallons when near empty, he had gotten his dollar plus interest in return.
As he was leaving the store, he struck up a brief conversation with the panhandler. He told him that he had the dollar, but he really should not have given it away, but he got his dollar back based upon the way that the transaction turned out. The gentleman said that he had a few coins left over from the transaction and offered the author what he had. The author said that he would not be that "tight" ("tight-fisted") with him. As, they were exiting the store, the panhandler's eyes detected a portion of a fuel ticket peeking out of a rubbish can. He reached for it, grabbed it, unfurled it, and offered the author it. So, at ten cents per gallon, at least ten on the next fill-up, and with three fuel coupons available, the author had made a three dollar return on a one dollar investment in a homeless man in less than fifteen minute. What is this for annual percent yield if extrapolated as mutual fund manager's do? Maybe this is what a country needs when its economy is sagging, those who have investing in those who have less. Remember the days of the early Christian Pentecost which history records was a period and community where those who "had" did not live in lavishness and those who "had not" did not live on a paucity. Men could give freely in support of their brother's needs. Was not this the original "trickle-down" economy.
But, this is one of the "little things" which the Lord has done for this author. Not only has he received a three dollar plus discount on his next tank of fuel, but he has also learned a valuable lesson. The Lord did not have the "panhandler" ask him for money so the author might bless the "panhandler", but so the "panhandler" might be a blessing in the author's life. So, the next time that its seems that your budget is "depleted", know that thew Lord's Treasure Trove of Love is replete with blessings.
With that said, do not sell the farm and give your last dollar away in hopes of tripling your wealth, since your are doing it for the wrong motives. With your giving, love, bless, and simply "do the most good".
May You Be Richly and Wondrously Blessed During This Upcoming Season In Your Life.
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