Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Donna and I were married in the fall of 1970 right after I graduated from Michigan State. That next January we were involved in a coffee-house street ministry called The Master’s House in downtown Lansing, MI. We were open evenings and late into the night. While we had no salary, we were provided with a little 2 bedroom home across from the Oldsmobile forge plant on the west side of town. We got to pray everything else in and were so blessed by God’s provision.
We went an extended period where we had no money – not a dime. Groceries, gas, everything was provided – just no money. One evening Judy Potter, a college friend who was helping with the ministry, came up to me and said with a little embarrassment that the Lord had told her to give us $1 – not $5 or $10 – just $1. I grinned and took the dollar and placed it in my shirt pocket and told her it was $1 more than I had.
Later that evening another helper came and asked if we could give him a ride home when we closed. He lived on the south end of Lansing. I was a bit concerned because we were low on gas but I agreed to take him home. Our old Ford had about 8 gallons below empty and we had been on the empty mark for a couple of days.
After dropping him off after midnight, we were near home when we had to stop at a railroad crossing for a train. I no sooner stopped when I ran out of gas. But much to my relief, next to us was a police car! I got out and went over and asked them to call AAA. Fortunately, at Christmas we had been given a AAA membership.
The officers pulled behind us with their lights on and we waited. When the AAA guy arrived, he didn’t say a word but he took a 5 gallon gas can, poured it in my car and then walked up to me and his first words were, “That will be $1.” (Gas cost 19.9 cents/gallon.) I took the $1 out of my shirt pocket – the only dollar that I had – and handed it to him. We rejoiced all the way home!
Our friend didn’t give us $5 or $10 but she sensed the Lord said to give just $1 – the exact amount we would need. Here 50 years later I continue to be thrilled by the amazing power of this experience with God.
