How Does God Guide Us?
"What a pretty blouse," my friend Amy said as she touched the silky sleeve of my red blouse.
"Thanks. It's my God-blouse," I replied.
I love to tell the story of my God-blouse, a top I bought twenty-five years ago during a difficult time. My husband had been unemployed for a year, and we had four children under the age of ten. I swallowed my pride and applied for food stamps and welfare.
God, I'm so embarrassed. I want to disappear. I can't believe this is happening to us. I'm at the end of my rope, and You have to do something quick. Haven't we been through enough?
Even though we struggled a lot during that time and didn't know where the money was coming from to pay the monthly bills, God always provided. We never went without food or shelter. And we never missed a mortgage payment.
On the day that I bought my God-blouse, I had some time to kill as I waited to pick up the children from school. I'll just mull around the corner boutique. Even if I don't have money, I can still window shop, I told myself.
I took my time browsing around the store, looking at all the pretty summer clothes on display.
I wish I had money to buy something, God.
I spotted the clearance sale sign in the back of the store and quickly walked over to the clothing rack. I had no intention of buying anything, but the blouse jumped out at me. The delicate soft pink roses on the collar of the blouse looked pretty and would look great with my black pants.
Wow, it's only ten dollars, I thought to myself. I wanted to forget that my husband was out of work and I couldn't afford it. You don't need a blouse, Pat; you have plenty of clothes in your closet, my conscience argued.
As I reluctantly placed it back on the rack, I heard that small still voice of God say: “BUY IT AND I WILL PROVIDE.” I pulled out my wallet to see how much money I had in it. I had a ten-dollar bill tucked away in the billfold. I had exactly the right money to buy that blouse. God, did I hear you right? “BUY IT AND I WILL PROVIDE.” Is my imagination running wild?
I wanted to believe it was God, but could I trust myself? In the past, miracles happened when I listened to God. I prayed quietly to myself and listened. My gut was saying to trust God and buy the blouse.
I picked up the children from school and drove directly home (not saying a word to anyone about my purchase.) I grabbed the mail from the mailbox as I walked in the house, hoping there weren't any bills.
Nothing important, the usual junk mail, I thought to myself. What's this? A letter with no return address on it? Who could this be from?
I quickly opened it, eager to see what was inside. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the crisp new ten-dollar bill tucked inside the note card. As I read the simple but profound message written in the card, I started to tremble from head to foot.
“Oh my God,” I shouted as the tears streamed down my cheeks. “Who sent this to me?”
I frantically searched for a name, but there was no name anywhere. Sprawled across the handwritten note was simply,
To Pat,
From the Son of a Carpenter
Filled with awe and gratitude, I couldn't stop laughing and crying at the same time. God provides, but I didn't expect it so dramatically and so quickly. I still don't know who sent the card and money—and probably never will. The person who sent it listened to the small still voice of God and obeyed.
Twenty-five years later, I still wear my God-blouse and get compliments. It's always an opportunity to tell the story of God's magnificent love.
Copyright 2009 Xulon Press. All rights reserved.
Originally published April 08, 2009.
