Give

My friend Denise, who lives alone, is one of the unsung heroes of our church. She can’t preach, she doesn’t sing on the stage but she is on a number of teams which work behind the scenes.  Every Thursday she is on the early morning Breakfast Club team which goes to the local Primary School, then the Homework Club Team that afternoon, again at the Primary School. Besides this she is on the team which prepares refreshments for the senior’s group every second Thursday. Not to mention Sunday Teams.

 On a recent Wednesday, after chopping hedging at the front of her house, her arthritic back was reminding her that she should be careful. The next day she was needed on three teams. She was now trying to tackle a large tree beside her house. She prayed, “Lord; I really need you to help me with this, please keep me safe.”  She had already tried climbing, (without a ladder) onto the roof and into the tree. Now she was back in the middle of the lawn deciding what to do next.

 It was at that point she realized that a Vietnamese couple who lived nearby, but to whom she had never spoken, were standing on the lawn behind her. After ascertaining what she was doing the man gestured towards her saying, “Please, Please!”  Not being sure of what he meant she did not respond. Again he repeated. Please, please!” as he extended his hand to take the saw.  Then he nimbly shinned up the tree branch by branch, cutting as he went. In no time the job was done. The couple explained that in Vietnam they went around the houses of older folk doing gardening chores, like cutting down trees.

 She was so excited when she related the story to me, “I asked The Lord keep me safe as I tackled the tree and He responded by sending me a professional tree lopper. Not only that, but apart from a couple of scratches, the next day I did not have an ache or pain.”

 Give and it will be given unto you in good measure……..for with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. That’s what Jesus said. Luke 6:38