I was young, in love, and bewildered. Haven”t we all been there?
I grew up in a family that emphasized money management and financial planning. My parents were generous to a fault, but I always knew my parents would have the financial resources to take care of us. Although as an adult, I now know things were much tighter financially than I ever realized.
However, being young and in love, I was bewildered by a choice Ricky made. I was sitting in Ricky”s kitchen one evening and noticed that his refrigerator was gone. When I asked Ricky about his refrigerator, he told me a young couple from his church who had children needed a refrigerator, so he had given the family his refrigerator. I asked Ricky where he was going to get a new refrigerator assuming he had the resources to purchase another refrigerator. I assumed he was giving away a refrigerator from excess resources.
I”ll never forget Ricky”s response. He said, “I don”t know where I”ll get a new refrigerator, but I know God will provide one.”
Ricky didn”t have any money for a new refrigerator. He didn”t have a plan for how to get a refrigerator. All he had was faith—faith that God would provide a refrigerator. In Matthew 17:20, we are told “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Ricky lived this scripture and truly believed it.
The next day Ricky got a call from a woman who was remodeling her kitchen and needed someone to haul off her old appliances. Ricky agreed to pick up the appliances. Sure enough, there was a working refrigerator. God provided for Ricky.
I still struggle to have faith. I want to have the resources and a plan for getting another refrigerator before I give away my refrigerator. I hold on too tightly to what I can see rather than reaching for that which is unseen. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we cannot see (Heb. 11:1). I continue to pray that I will have faith at least as small as a mustard seed—enough faith to give away the refrigerator (without a plan to replace it!).
I agree with you and would want to make the most of my time left. I would also want to leave with no regrets.
I would appreciate our linking to each other’s websites if that’s ok with you!
Donna
It was so interesting story I am a Teacher of 3 grade in a private school in Kosova and I thing like you dear Dr.Beth we must thing about these children with these problems in their house we must help them in any way they need, I hope you understand my English language .
Key of a positive world and our future is NOT stop thinking of problems any problems of children in world because is not like you work with happy and loved child and from permisive family like you work with children with represive family , we must help them so early not to be late for them they are most important thing in this world but we must not just think but we must do that what is the best for them in practice , to be their live more easy and not so hard because how we educate them like infant or from prenatal periode they will be like these a factor in their social life and will grow their family in that atmosphere with a positive or negative influence in this wonderful world .
But I see that we make them like a robot and not like a human been we work, we dont have time for them to love to learn them how to live their life so lovely WE WORK ALL DAY but we dont think never for whom we do that money and everything for our robots , or for our lovely child …………………