Where's my wallet?!?!

So I lost my wallet yesterday.  Or maybe it was the night before.  You know how it goes.  That sudden cold, clammy, creeping moment when you ask yourself, where's my wallet...? It's not on the shoe cabinet.  It's not in my bag.  It's not in last night's pants.  Wait - when did I last see it - yesterday night or today??!

Start re-tracing my steps.  Friday night, went to my parents' place for dinner.  Call parents - nope, they haven't seen it.  Then, went home to put down stuff before heading to bread distribution.  Chose to keep wearing my office clothes to save having to wash one extra outfit, so... wallet should still be in my pants.  Check pants in washing load.  Nope, not there.  Went to in-laws' place to fix their computer before heading to Friday bread distribution.  Check there?  Nah, they would surely have seen it by now.

Prayed with the wife - Jesus, help me find my wallet! $100 just to replace the NRIC :(   And I just topped up my Kopitiam stored value card.  Double :(  Not to mention the usual ATM, credit card etc.

And really bad timing, because I promised to bring a bunch of students to the swimming club today for our monthly mentoring session, and I can't sign them in or pay (or indeed even prove that I belong there!) without my card.  And, the wife has been looking forward to going to gym class all week, since missing last week's class, and now I have no gym card to get her in and prove I belong there as well!

And, oh no, I went into so many homes last night at the bread distribution, sat down on so many different chairs, sofas and floors to chat and pray with the residents.  Impossible to tell if I dropped it there.

AAAARGGGHH.

AAAARGGGHH.

AAAARGGGHH.

Jesus, help!  Last hope.  Maybe check the car.  Rummage, rummage, rummage.  Wait.  What's that wedged deep into the dark and dusty corner between the gearbox and the seat.  THE WALLET.  *aaaaaaahhhhhhh* goes the angel chorus!  How did it get there?  Who cares?!  :D 

Still enough time to run to Sat evening church service, so the wife and I scramble off.  When we got there, and finished saying hi to our friends, the wife quietly said to me, I think we should empty your wallet for the offering.  We would have been happy getting back the wallet with no money in it anyway.  So I responded, sure, good idea - I was really quite grateful for our answered prayer!

I usually carry little cash with me, less than $100, so when I opened my wallet and saw a few times the usual amount in there, my wife's idea suddenly seemed A LOT less appealing :P  Why, on all days, do I have that much in there?!  I seriously thought about bargaining - maybe I can put in half?  But, the commitment's already been made, so, just grit my teeth, don't give myself the chance to think up more excuses.  I quickly empty my wallet into the offering bag as it passes by, and then get ready for the preacher's sermon.

Astonishingly, the sermon was on tithes and offering.  So boy was I glad I obeyed God's prompting, through my wife, to empty my wallet.

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury.  Many rich people threw in large amounts.  But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.  Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.  They all gave out of their wealth, but she, out of her poverty, put in everything - all she had to live on."  Mark 12:41-44

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.  Test me in this, says the LORD Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.   I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe.  Malachi 3:10

Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.  2 Corinthians 9:6-8

God knew, in advance, that at the point of testing, my wife and I would follow through with giving.  And so, even before we gave, He had already provided for my wallet to be found, so that I could give generously, and "abound in every good work".

To get my club card back so I could bring the students to a nice place for lunch and talk about life.  To get my gym card back so I could spend quality time with my wife at the exercise class she likes so much.  To get my cash back to give to missions work, that a missionary somewhere out in the field needs and has been praying for.  I suddenly even remembered why I had that much cash in my wallet in the first place - a friend had just given me the money to pay for her transport and accommodation for a mission trip we are organising in June.

As my wife and I reflected on all these on our walk back home, my wife remembered something else.  A few weeks ago, we had been planning for a holiday with the family.  My wife had said, I've been thinking about it - if we pay through our credit card to give $X to the church's charity work, we can get enough miles to redeem a flight for one of us.  To which my pragmatic response was - why would we pay $X to get a flight that costs $X/30?!?!?  Then I quickly (and conveniently) forgot about it.

But I know that God speaks clearly, lovingly and persistently, if only our hearts are open to listen and obey.  So this whole episode of losing my wallet, finding it again, realising I need to give away its contents in gratefulness, and seeing that as I give, He equips me to abound in every good work... it was all to remind me of the earlier opportunity to give that I had conveniently shelved.  So what will my decision be now?  I know already - I will trust Him with what I have, otherwise it's lost anyway!

Lord, I can't outgive you.  You have been so good to me all these years - my family, my work, my time, my ministry, my energy - they're all yours, and I would have none of it but for You.  I mess up and omit to do what I ought to, but as my loving Father, You remind me and lead me back to where I'm supposed to be.  Thank you Lord.

Trust  in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight... Honour the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine."  Proverbs 3:5-6, 9-10

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