The Dreaded Phone Call
As I grieved over the death of a dear Christian friend of mine, I sat pondering the scriptures concerning widows and orphans, and all the promises the Lord has made to them—as well as our responsibilities as Christians according to the Word.
My thoughts moved to the difficulties of another dear friend and co-worker who had lost her husband earlier in the year. I really didn’t know how she was making it on a school secretary’s salary with her youngest child in college. The Lord tugged heavily at my heart for her. In that moment, I knew I should give her some money, although I had no idea why. The call was urgent – so urgent that I had to immediately stop what I was doing and go get my wallet out. I found only $60 but figured that must be what she needed. She was in the copy room when I approached her.
“I don’t know what this is about, but I want you to take this money. The Lord has put you on my heart,” I said.
She saw the urgency in my eyes and didn’t look at what I put in her hand, but said “Well, I thank you for listening to Him.”
I left for vacation the following day and did not see her for a week. By the time I finally ran into her, she had told everyone around her the story of God's grace in her time of need.
As we each left the copy room that day, the phone in her office rang. Her daughter-in-law was on the line, calling from her doctor’s office. She had been carrying triplets, but the doctor couldn’t hear the heartbeat of all three babies. She was terribly upset. My friend hung up the phone with a troubled heart, but then it rang again. This time it was her son, who was out of town on business for the week. They had expected the doctor's appointment to be routine, and he was worried he wasn't with his wife in her time of fear. She immediately picked up her purse, took the money in hand, and headed out of town to assist with the family crisis. Her son and daughter-in-law lived hours away, and the funds helped pay for the unexpected costs of the trip.
God knew she had a need before she did, and had already moved to meet it. Neither of us knew why He'd moved my heart, but He did. I could have passed it off as a strange thought; she could have refused the money. He never even had to let me know why He prompted me to give her the funds. In His wisdom and grace He blessed us both.
Every day she cherishes the beautiful healthy grandbaby that God blessed them with, her daughter-in-law experiencing absolutely no complications during the remainder of the pregnancy or delivery.