New sofa
Power washer
Extension ladder
Gas blower
Those are not things that you can wrap and put under the tree, so both of our parents gave us checks to help buy things for the house. We were SO grateful and they were SO generous. We thanked them for our gifts and then Richard tucked them into his Bible so they wouldn't get lost on the way home. The next week when Richard went to take the checks to the bank to deposit them, THEY WEREN'T THERE. I didn't panic at first because I was sure that he put them someplace safe and they would turn up eventually. I didn't even help look, but assured Richard that he would find them soon. After two weeks, I could tell Richard was starting to worry. He didn't want to have to go to our parents and ask for another check, but he knew that was what would have to happen. That night before we went to bed, I prayed that we would find those checks. It was the first time I had asked for God's help. The next morning I was reading in Matthew chapter 9 about the blind men who were begging Jesus to have mercy on them. Jesus asked, "Do you believe I can make you see?" The men answered, "Yes, Lord we do." Then Jesus said, "Because of your faith, it will happen."
"Marlo, do you believe I can make you see those checks?"
"Yes, Lord I do."
I wrote this in my journal,
Lord I ask in faith for you to show us where those checks are. We have done everything in our strength to find them. Now, if they are found it will be because of you.
Then I got up and looked into the top drawer of our dresser--not there. Then I pulled the chair over so that I could look on top of our dresser. Richard had already looked there so I had no reason to search again, but I did. And there they were!
I think sometimes God is waiting to give us things until we ask so that he can receive the glory.
Have I asked for things in the past and the answer is "No" or "Not now"? Of course!
Has that made it hard for me to ask for things again? Yes.
Does that mean that I shouldn't ask? NO!
The Bible says we are to lay our requests before him and wait in expectation.
Have faith that he is ABLE and wait and see what he will do.
A similar thing happened to me when I worked for an oil and gas leasing company. The oil and gas leases were very very crucial to our company and needed to be recorded at the court house before the deal would be considered finalized. We had a lease that another company was trying to lease out from under us and we needed to find the lease right then. All the leases were filed in a filing cabinet and the 4 girls working in that department had looked multiple times through the entire cabinet and never found it. I was the supervisor for every department in that office and the owner said that if we didn't find it people would be loosing their jobs! I went into that office and started searching. I looked everywhere I thought it could be missfiled. I was coming to the folder that would be the exact opposite of the folder it was supposed to be in and I prayed like I have never prayed before and pleeded with God that it would be in that folder and I said the same thing you did...if it is found now Lord it will be because of you and you alone will receive the glory. You know it was in that folder and only you at this time can know the feeling I had in my heart! Thanks for sharing and reminding me of his faithfulness!
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