See?!?

Sunday morning, Kenny received a simple, typed note that said, "Dear Kenny and Chelsea, Merry Christmas!! God bless you!!" along with a large amount of money in an envelope in his church mailbox.  Enough money to make our lives much easier for the next year.  This benefactor may not know what led up to this blessing, and how much God used him or her through this gift, but I want to bestow my thanks here.  You see, on December 1st, Advent started.  During the sermon that day, I felt like God was asking me to give up TV and Facebook to better anticipate the celebration of Christ's birth.  The message was, "I know you can't give much, but you can give that.  This is your offering to me."  The verse in Malachi 3:10 was brought up: "'Bring the tenth part into the store-house, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,' says the Lord of All. 'See if I will not then open the windows of heaven and pour out good things for you until there is no more need.'"  Again, the Lord was saying to me to give up TV and just see what happens. We were praying for money for new tires, and I thought, "Well maybe the Lord will provide for that need through this small act of obedience."  We were excited when we did get money for tires, but that happened Thursday of last week.  When this money came in, my mind began to ring out, "SEE!?!  See?!?  See if I don't open up the windows of heaven!"  As Kenny and I continued our day, I placed our final giving envelope for the year in the offering plate.  And another thought came to me- this was the first year we gave faithfully and cheerfully the whole year long.  Sure we've given money fairly regularly, but cheerfully, without wondering what else we could use that money for?  Not a lot.  So for another time that morning, the Lord began to say, "See?!?  See!!  See what happens when you obey- in large and small things?  See what happens when you give what I ask?"  And so, to whom it may concern, the Lord has used you to show me many good things, mostly what happens when I obey and trust Him.  May God bless you and your family in a special way for your obedience to give what He asked to us.