This That and the Other
I’m thinking about several things that seem to recently gather around blessings, some for me and some for others. The older I get, the more I understand the phrase, “You can’t outgive God.” I’ve been noticing that since I have been trying to share blessings that God has given to me, I’ve seen that the things God’s given me are going farther to help others and myself.
Let me illustrate by saying that things that we might consider a problem isn’t always so. The chimney to my woodburner has been unusable all winter. At first I thought that was unfortunate, but the wood and coal that I’d purchased last fall has laid untouched. Recently one of my friends told me that he’s had difficulty affording wood and coal for his furnace. I told him there’s no reason for you to be cold, when I have a stack of wood that I’m not using. Please come and take all that you need. God knew ahead of time and allowed me to purchase some wood and coal ahead of time.
God knew that I would have no use for the wood and that my friend would need it. More than that, God gave me the finances to pay the fuel oil that I’d need and that was a double blessing. I haven’t struggled to haul the wood inside during the cold weather months, I haven’t had to haul out the ashes, and the need for me to go up and down several flights of stairs was lessened. The fewer trips decreased the wear and tear on my painful knees.
I believe I’ve shared before that I’m part of an experimental medication study for my diabetes. I tell folks that I am selling myself, preferring to be teased about being a gigilo rather than a human guinea pig. Through the routine office visits, vital signs, and blood samples they monitour my progress. I keep an extensive personal log for them to follow my progress. I’m paid a stipend for my participation. That’s why I say I’m selling myself. The payments help keep money in reserve to pay taxes, insurance, dental bills, and the fuel oil. Hy is it that bills all seem to hit in cluster like the plagues of Egypt. Another blessing I’m getting from the experimental study group is that the company also pays for my insulin and that’s one less monthly cost coming out of my pocket.