God's Provision and Protection..

Today, after church and a family visit to the Y, we came home and I rushed just down the street to our local CVS. Despite my disheveled look from my workout, I really wanted to get something that was on sale for $6 off. Love Labor Day Weekend sales.

I left CVS so excited over my 'deal' when a man, sitting in his car, spoke up to me and asked if I knew anyone that needed any work done. How he would work for food as he hadn't eaten all day. (It was 5p.m. by then.). He was living in his car and having a hard, at the end of his rope, kind of a weekend. I asked him if he had reached out to any local churches. He mentioned a church, that my children go to for Hand Bell Choir, and told me the location and their 3 month work recruitment along with their food/supply pantry. I am actually friends with the lady in charge of this ministry so I knew his information was true.

He kept mentioning working for food or money and I offered to get him something to eat inside of CVS. I asked him what he would like and he just asked for a candy bar to get some sugar in him and to make it til the church offices were open on Tuesday. So...I went back into CVS and quickly scanned the isles to find something to get him to Tuesday. I ended up with a loaf of bread, jar of peanut butter, silverware and some juice. After ringing this purchase up, the cashier pulls out a basket of -what else - candy bars and says that they are handing these out for free. The man SO gratefully takes the food and I told him to please take care of himself, get to the church for their work program on Tuesday and that I'd be praying for him. I calmly left him and started to drive home. Driving home it just all hit me all this man was going through and I just cried all the way home. Poor Brian said, "My goodness, you just went to the store, what on earth happened??"

A couple of things I've concluded. God's protection. I fully realize that one must always be careful as this isn't a very safe world. I guess I could have been on the 11 o'clock news. God clearly gave him the right words to put me at ease that he IS looking for help from a church and shared facts that only he would know if he had been to this church.

God's provision is another thing. As much as I wanted to save those $6 - God had something else in mind. He teaches me over and over that my money IS NOT mine and never was. It is His money to do with as He pleases. Brian and I had a good laugh when I told him that I not only didn't save the $6, but I spent $10 more than planned.

Also....5 min. before my second checkout the cashier had NOT been giving out candy bars when I first went through the line. The guy had asked for a candy bar and the Lord saw fit to make sure he had one. Another way the Lord showed me His hand in this situation.

I often frequent this one blog where a lady uses coupons and she gets many free things on double coupon or triple coupon days. She takes all of those free items to her local homeless shelter and her church's pantry. When I read her posts all I can think is: 'those are eternal coupons'. I was trying, today, to save money for my own selfish means, but God showed me His own plans today were FAR different than what I had planned.

I will never forget this man today and I will pray for him to find work. Today was a reminder that this world is NOT our home and how much more I should be preparing for my eternal home.