Anyone ever give an great offering and be blessed?

[deltaguitar]

We were on a youth trip and it was very cold outside. Before the morning church service I took a few of the kids to eat. This was back around the time that God started dealing with me but I still had a ton of issues.

Well, this little old man came up to me and started talking to me about how he loved God and how God always provided for him. He said that the ladies at mcdonalds always give him free coffee. I could almost smell the alcohol on his breath. A that moment, for one of the first times in my life I looked at another human being with compassion. I made some small talk and he told me how he lived in the woods and that a local preacher let him sleep in his hunting trailer. He talked about God and there were genuine tears of love in his eyes.

I left and went to church.

God started dealing with me. Go back and help that man. Be a servant to the least of mine is what he seemed to say. I was thinking. God, I am almost on the front row or the church. If I get up 500 people are going to know I am leaving. The preacher was dead serious and it was very quiet. Finally, fighting back the tears and emotion. I got up, at least 200 people watched me make the long walk back. I left.

I drove 10 minutes back to mcdonalds and the guy was no where to be found so I asked the lady at the counter and she said he just left. I found the little guy and choking back the tears I gave him all I had, $32. He started crying and asked if he could pray for me and he did and I felt an amazing presence of God. What an amazing prayer?

It took me days before I had the courage to tell anyone what I did. My wife didn't even believe I did it.

I could have cared less if I ever got blessed financially. It was during that time that God really started working on me and he was changing my heart. God has blessed me financially but without a doubt that experience is as valuable as gold in my life. $32 was nothing of value but it started a change in my life.

[freeatlast]

A couple years ago I saw a man in a wheel chair on a downtown streetcorner. He appeared to be soaked from the rain coming down that day.

I drove by and the thought came to me that I had a big golf umbrella with me.

I circled around the block and got out and handed the man my umbrella. He looked surprised and he looked happy to have some shelter from the rain.

Back in 1976 we had just finished a newbuilding and we were financially strapped and their was no money to lay the carpet and put in the pews.

I sold my house and paid for the pews @ 13 K if memory serves me right.

My bro-in-law sold his house and gave about the same and the carpet went down.

Both he and I have been blessed all our lives.

But I gotta say the bigger blessing came to me when I gave a man in need an ubrella.

[Light]

We felt impressed to give $2000.00 to a missionary that we knew nothing about. Within 2 week God gave us $87,000.00 enough to finish our church.
You can not out give God.
I remember once God impressed on me to give every thing that I had in my wallet. I looked and there were 5 $100.00 bills. I looked under the flap to make sure but that was all the money I had.
The next day I drove to another city and stopped in a convenience store. I got a coke and a bag of peanuts. I opened both before going to the counter. I had forgotten I had no money. When I opened my wallet there was 2 $1.00 bills, enough to pay for my coke and peanuts.
When I got home I ask my wife if she put them in my wallet. She said no.
God is so good.

[revrandy]

Don't know if it's been said...but God giving back does not necessarily mean monetary gain... there is many, many blessings of God that have little to do with money...as a matter of fact giving to receive is an impure motive... give and it shall be given...

[LadyChocolate]

There was a time when we were broke and nothing to give in the offering... I would try to find change just to be able to give....

One night, my hubby and I had $50 to our name... that was it...yeah rough times... anyway, he felt led to give it in a missionary offering... I choked but never said a word because I know when my husband says he felt led to give, then I trust him.... but I did choke...

That night, a man stopped by our home to say hello.....shook my husband's hand and gave him $100.00....... not much but when you double your money in one night, that's a blessing!

I've seen God bless us from giving time and time again... it's wasn't always in $$....

When my youngest was only 3, he was hit accidentally with a shovel and it sliced his nose... The local doctors would not touch it so I had to drive him to Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.... after all was said and done, the bill was thousands of dollars.... I called shortly after to make payment arrangements and come to find out, I owed nothing.... it was already taken care of.... Sometimes when you give, you don't see the blessings right away... sometimes they are stored up and then given to ya on a rainy day..

[EA]

I've always taught our church, and my family, that we give with no expectation. We give because it is the right thing to do. We give as a form of worship.

That being said, I will tell you a few stories of God's blessings. Probably won't fit them all in this post.

First, when I enrolled at Gateway I was already married with an infant daughter. I worked as a supervisor at a warehouse club in the evenings, at UPS overnight, and attended Gateway during the day. I was also youth pastor at a large church as well as student body secretary, ministerial association VP and lead male vocalist at Gateway.

My time was precious, and I was doing everything I could to provide for my little family and pay my tuition to Gateway. We always gave our tithe, without fail. Looking back, I was certifiably crazy for taking on so much pressure. I worried myself sick over my school bill, but I paid it. I paid the first semester, pulled down a 4.0 GPA, and wondered how God had allowed me to do so.

At the start of the next semester I went in to pay my bill only to be told to go to the school President's office. I was scared silly! I was sure I was in trouble because I was just as vocal at Gateway as I am on AFF. lol

However, when I walked in the brother (who eventually became a great mentor) asked me about my future plans. We talked for a few minutes and this is what he said. "Brother Anglin, the school has an unclaimed freshman scholarship, and we want to give it to you. It will take care of your school bill for the rest of the year. All you will have to pay for is your books."

I didn't know what to say. My surprise eventually turned to humility as I realized what the gift would mean to my family. It mean I could quit my overnight job at UPS. It meant I could spend more time with my family. It meant I could give more to the church.

[LadyChocolate]

Ah! Beautiful testimony!!!!!

[EA]

During our first year in Staunton, we lived in the back of our church. We had arrived in August of 2000, moved into the church, and began to remodel it as best we could with what we had.

November hit, and we realized we had no money to buy Christmas gifts for our three kids, who were all under ten at the time. It bothered me horribly. My wife and I began to pray that God would give us some side jobs in addition to the secular work we already did.

He didn't.

Anyway, during the first week of December, when the realization that Christmas was going to be meager sat in, the letters started to arrive. Letters from people we didn't know. Letters from people in our community. Letters from other UPC ministers. All of them with money earmarked for our kids.

Understand, we had said nothing about our need. But God saw where we were, and moved on His people to help our kids. I sob every time I think of His goodness, and the goodness of His people.

Our kids had a wonderful Christmas. Nothing extravagant, but a wonderful Christmas.

Psalm 37:25

"I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."

[EA]

Every year our church gives away free school supplies to 100 kids in our community. We advertise the event in our local paper and all folks have to do is show up at the church, pick out what they want and leave. We give away pens, pencils, erasers, notebooks, three-ring binders, filler paper and crayons.

We have door prizes as well. We could never afford to give everyone that comes a bookbag and lunchbox, but we do draw for a few of them. Well, one year, unbeknownst to me, my son, Seth, had thrown his name into the box we draw out of.

Guess what, after we had drawn for all of the door prizes but one, he won the grand prize - a Batman lunchbox. lol He was so excited!

However, as he looked across the room there was a little boy he knew from school, and he knew the little boy had nothing. When I say nothing, I mean NOTHING. The boys family had come out of sheer, raw need. So, without us saying anything to Seth, he walked over to Darren, and handed him the lunchbox he had been so excited to win a few moments earlier.

His mother and I were so touched and proud!

Anyway, the end of the story is this. The very next week we received a call from Wal-Mart. They told us that Seth had entered a drawing a few weeks earlier for a huge bundle of school supplies, and was the grand prize winner!

Of course, the story is made most beautiful, and is filled with "God moments" because within the huge bundle of supplies Seth got was a Batman lunchbox. Yes, the exact same one! And a Batman bookbag. And pencils. And pens. And notebooks.

[mizpeh]

You're making me cry, Ed!!!

I didn't think you could top the other two posts but this last one is truly wonderful.

It makes you fall in love with God all over again!