I went to a local farm today to pick up a couple dozen eggs, since we are still chickenless. Indeed, our lives have been put on hold for the most part until Other House sells. There are little things we can do - such as paint the kitchen cabinets and plant a couple dirt-cheap fruit trees - but our house is more or less stuck in Ghetto Stage and our land will remain ungrazed until that mysterious buyer enters stage right.
Back to the farm...the real one. As I was paying for my eggs and so forth, I was asking the owner about meat prices and telling him that the last time I ate ground beef, I broke out into hives and got a stomach ache. And this was supposedly grass-fed, hormone-free beef! Anyway, he immediately went out to the cooler and returned with a pack of four hamburgers. He told me to take them and try them out. He laughed when I asked how much they were and said he was giving them to me because he's had similar reactions to beef and wants me to come back as a customer. I stammered several thank-you's as I left. So much for the hard-core capitalist...to me, what I just experienced was good business!
And it was a blessing. That's dinner for my family, and though it may not seem like a big deal, for me it's HUGE. An act like that is God reminding me that He is our provider. And since it was totally unexpected and involved someone I'd never met before, I'm even more convicted of Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." I wasn't exactly hoping for free food! I honestly can say that I had no ulterior motive in going to the farm today, and how often, in both my speech and actions, do I have motives that are self-serving? All too often, I can assure you.
Don't get me wrong - waiting for Other House to sell has been and continues to be one of the greatest tests of my faith, and I'm more than ready for the curtain call, for the show to be over. For some reason, God isn't, but I was reminded today that He - not our land and not even a closing date on Other House - will sustain us.
Praise God for His provision! Let me know if you react to the beef. Did the farmer have any thoughts to what you might have been reacting to?
ReplyDeleteGood stuff, girlfriend.
ReplyDelete“Think of how His grace has been sufficient for thee in all thy troubles--how His blood has been a pardon to thee in all thy sins--how His rod and His staff have comforted thee. When thou hast thus looked back upon the love of the Lord, then let faith survey His love in the future, for remember that Christ's covenant and blood have something more in them than the past.” C.H. Spurgeon “Morning & Evening” Feb.4th Morn.
Dawn - He didn't have any thoughts on that, but I'll let you know. I might go into this with some Benadryl on hand just in case! Emily - thanks for the encouragement! He has sustained us this far, hasn't He?
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