Early in Lockdown 101, like others I was helping our church get Zoomed up. Remember those motivational posts like ‘the Devil thought he’d shut the churches but Jesus knows otherwise’ or ‘church has not closed; it’s just moved’? To be honest, I was quite pleased I didn’t have to rush out on a Sunday morning. Nevertheless, over the weeks it gradually made us consider what was important enough to get out of our PJs for. But that thought is for another time.
So although the Devil clearly hadn’t closed Church, it did feel by May he’d woken up to his failure and zeroed in on techies and their tools. During just a couple of weeks we had an unreal amount of stuff break down. The microwave went bang, my network storage faltered, an old screen died, the iron went up in smoke and then my other monitor went belly up too. Little did we know this last incident would prove to be a signpost to experiencing God’s provision in a powerful way.
I was able to borrow a monitor and continued running church online. Other stuff got fixed, replaced or forgotten; time passed. Eventually in July the loaned screen was soon needed back home; the timing wasn’t great with a looming event that would be impossible without it.
And so we thought about buying another one. Reluctantly – as you do when there are plenty of basics you’d prefer to spend money on – I approached the keyboard to begin the search. As I did, something unexpected yet wonderful happened. With my hands poised to ask Google for advice I heard the Holy Spirit provide His own – “Don’t do that. Don’t do that. Trust me” It was a clear and direct instruction, yet gently and softly delivered. My hands hovered above the keys as I took the words in. There was deep care in the voice and that touched me, He knew my needs and I didn’t need to take this one on; I chose to follow and drew back.
I told my wife, Elizabeth, what had happened. Sensing this was going to be a defining moment that God was going to use for the family’s experience of his specific provision, she suddenly asked “Would two monitors be better?” “Two would be amazing!”, I exclaimed, not having even thought about more than the urgent before. Lunchtime was soon upon us and after the meal Elizabeth, the most gifted pray-er of the family, got us all together to talk through the monitor need, explaining the situation to the kids. We laid this need before Jesus’ feet and, for the one and only time we mentioned the two monitors, expressing to God “two would be wonderful but we would be happy with just the one.”
We prayed again over the days that followed when we read the Bible together. Another couple of weeks passed and the return deadline got closer. Nothing had changed but we had peace that God had already got this covered in some way.
Now, I have a group of three friends whom we describe to each other as our Musketeers. We’re not close geographically but we always seem to pick up where we left off and prayerfully support one another as ‘all for one and one for all’. There the similarity with d’Artagnan and co. stops as none of us wear foppish feathered hats or are likely to win a sabre fight. What we do though is fight prayer battles with and for each other. At Elizabeth’s prompting, I mentioned the need almost in passing to my Musketeer friend.
You know that feeling of joy and thankfulness, coupled with release, when you get an unexpected and unprompted response? Well, that’s what I got from my friend, C. I’d shared our prayer request with him and immediately, without hesitation he said “I can help with that!” I hadn’t expected such an immediate response, or that C would be the answer with an expression of practical love.
A couple of days later, in pouring rain, Mr Amazon arrived with two large boxes. Two? Yes, you’ve guessed it, not only had my friends got together to provide what I needed, they had gone above and beyond to double the blessing. What’s more, I had never told them about two screens being ideal. God had just nudged them about that and they’d followed his invitation. And of course, the timing was perfect.
To say I felt blessed, loved and privileged would sum it up well but add to that the joy of experiencing God’s provision in an unexpected and a cup-flowing-over manner. I was made up and awed. And I still am.
In a letter to 1st century Christ followers in central Turkey, the Apostle Paul reminds them to keep going in good deeds and expressions of love. Why? Because, as he lays out in the same section, you reap what you sow.
Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.
Galatians 6: 7-10
At this time of such a shaking of our accepted norms we’re being given the opportunity to not only reevaluate what we consider a blessing but also how we can sow such deeds. Sure, inbound or outbound material gifts are an obvious statement of blessing, but the expression of love from my friends will long outlast the lifetime of the equipment it provided. It’s not about the size of the gift.
As a Christ follower, what are the invitations you’re being sent to live out verse 10? Let’s not ignore them. Follow the nudge, hear the whisper, give the time, make the choice.
For us blessing came in the shape of a failed computer screen which gave an invitation for a growth in trust, peace and a diversion from individualism. For my friends, who took the opportunity, have sown the pleasure of the Holy Spirit and warmed the Father’s heart by doing good to us. And that’s the shape of the seed which grows the good harvest.
(top of blog photo credit “057: 26 February” by Darren W is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
And My House 