a pulse of Kingdom
Patti and I were in the basement with the babes. The twins had just finished their bottles and were motoring around, playing with their toys and with us as we sat on the carpeted floor, the kind of early morning entertainment we’ve come to love the past year. Their mom had taken the opportunity to go to the store without having to load them up and push them through jammed aisles. Quite the treat for a busy momma. Upon her return, she popped downstairs and with a slightly ashen face, she tells us this story that blew us all away.
Paige had accomplished her mission and had completely loaded her shopping cart with the normal essentials for her household; all kinds of baby food, several gallons of milk, fruit, finger-foods, snacks, cereal, etc. As she reported, the cart was full! Everything was going smoothly as she chatted with the check-out girl. The groceries had already been scanned and now was in the process of being bagged and being put back into the cart. The checker told her that the bill was over $140.00. Only when Paige reached for her wallet did she realize that she had left it in different purse back at the house. This is one of those things that is so irritating in our life! I did it yesterday myself. I left the house without my wallet and didn’t realize it until I had placed my order at Starbys. Good grief! A little embarrassed, Paige apologized, said she’d have to go back home and get her wallet and asked the checker if it would be okay to just push the cart to the side until she returned. (She lives about a quarter of a mile from the store. It would take less than 10 minutes to pull that off.) The lady behind the counter was accommodating and Paige was all set to make the dash back to the car and go back home for the wallet. Here is where the story turns. There was a gentleman in line behind Paige who was watching all this. About the time Paige was about to walk off, he speaks up and tells the checker to put Paige’s groceries on his credit card! Paige spins around and does what every one of us would do: “you don’t have to do that! I live right there (pointing) and it won’t take but a few minutes”. The guy was adamant about it. The checker’s face was white. She couldn’t believe it, Paige couldn’t believe it…everyone who witnessed it was in shell-shock. All the guy said was that his business was good and he was happy to do it. Of course, Paige offered to mail him a check, but he wasn’t having any of it. The man simply was not going to be denied the opportunity to do his good deed. There was not the expected “God bless you” or any other of our canned religious monologue. He just did what he did to a total stranger with no strings attached! A rare but holy deposit!
I do believe this is the pulse of the Kingdom we preach. It raises so many analogies and questions but ultimately hope in my heart! I don’t know if this guy has a clue about Kingdom, church or anything else that I believe, but in that moment where he sowed into a woman he didn’t know…I think he touched heaven’s heart. We have worked hard to plant seeds of Kingdom principles into the heart of our people. Concepts of sowing and reaping, faithfulness, joy in our giving, allowing our heart to be in the process, hearing what the Spirit says…I see that it bears so much fruit! Knowing that you do what God has asked you to do even though no man sees or knows is massive! Even the grand experiment of no “physical” church this month gives us all another opportunity to measure our giving based on our response to God’s desire for us and what we do with our finances. It’s not the most important thing…but, it is important.
We don’t say it enough, but Patti and I live in constant gratitude for the financial seed you sow into us and Every Tribe International. We can stand on the wall that God has called us to, because He has placed it in your heart to support the work we’re involved in. We know you give by the Spirit and we feel only LOVE and HONOR from your giving! We are living our dream! The World Race gives us direct opportunity with young adults who want to “go for it” in regards to community and Kingdom inheritance. Recent meetings with The World Race staff confirms the need and also our desire to be “more” involved with coaching and discipleship. That means more travel, more time abroad, less time at home…a cost we’re glad to pay because we believe HE desires it. Where we go…your seed goes. May your harvest be without bounds!!!
See you in a couple weeks!
Mike
xoxo
