So I was down to my last twenty dollars. It was Christmas. Mom had just visited, so we had some presents for the kids, some groceries, and a new set of tires on the old car which made us able to get through the snow, but no huge turkey, no presents for each other, and whatever free activities we could find to fill the vacation time. Furthermore, Mom left back to sunny California, so we were left to a small Christmas with just my husband and my kids, and a bleak January where we knew we'd have to eat Ramen and fill the gas tank $8 at a time. I was feeling no holiday sparkle, in fact, I was feeling quite sorry for myself as I heard the about the fabulous presents people were buying their spouses, children and neighbors, but we still packed up the children to go to the Christmas Eve service at church. The service was full of beautiful music, candlelight, and carols. My spirit felt soothed and a flitter of hope filled my chest. When the offering plate came around, I took out that last twenty and said, "All right God. I haven't been tithing, I've been miserly, I've had little more than just enough, but I need to trust you." I plopped it into the plate like the widow who gave her last coin. We had some groceries, true, but I also knew January was going to be a long, scary month.
Fast forward to New Year's Eve. The children were invited to see a matinee at the movie theater. I had some money in my purse, but it was to pay a bill. I reasoned that I could use it and somehow worry about the bill when it came up in two days. Off we went to the theater. Our friends canceled when they saw how crowded it was, but I was determined to go--the temps had been frigid, and outdoor sledding was not feasible. I wanted them to have a little joy on their vacation.
We stepped up to buy tickets to the second showing since the first was sold out. The man said, "Twenty dollars, please?"
"Only twenty? Are you sure? Three kids and an adult."
"Five dollars a ticket today because of the holiday."
"That's wonderful. Here you go."
And, no kidding, just after we paid, a boy stopped me. He held out two ten dollar bills. I looked at him, shaking my head and smiling, "Thank you, but I did not drop any money. Maybe you can ask the ticket guy if someone did." But he just kept waving the bills in my face.
His mother stepped up.
"He came to the theater today with his money. He wants to pay for someone's tickets."
I was dumbstruck; I could not say anything. I took the boy's money and managed to say thank you. I wanted to tell him how much it meant to me, but I was trying hard not to cry.
We left the theater to find someplace to wait until our movie started. We decided to walk around Fleet Farm and look at the leftover toys. My daughter turned to me and asked why I was crying, and I told her I couldn't believe it. "Did you see what that boy did?" It was a true miracle. We sat through the movie later that afternoon, and it lifted our spirits. The kids were laughing all the way home. I called the friends who had invited us over earlier in the week, and I asked if we could still stop by. They said of course. I stopped wallowing, and I started filling my tank with God's love.
You see, I put twenty dollars in the offering plate, the movie cost twenty dollars, the boy handed me twenty dollars-- it came full circle. Yes, it could be coincidence, but it wasn't. It was a reminder to me that God cares about my daily life. He gives us what we can take, and then He holds our hand.
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