En route to Gateway

Today I introduce you to my friend Tina Garduna.  She's the one who experienced this week's remarkable story, and I thank her immensely for serving to co-write.  Back in April, Tina wanted to attend the Gateway women’s conference.  Already she knew the Lord told her to quit spending money, but the conference idea kept rising to the surface.  She tried to justify the conference, saying it would be good for her spiritual life and she'd celebrate a birthday soon and it was okay to put this on the credit card, but a few days later, the Lord nudged that it was not okay.  To purchase would be disobedient.  And almost immediately after Tina relented completely on the conference idea, the Lord began building a reward for her obedience.  An elderly friend for whom Tina is a caregiver gave her a birthday card with $100.  She told him the story of the conference, and in turn he gave her an additional jar of quarters that cashed in at almost $200.  Not yet enough for hotel, conference ticket, and gas, but the next day her daughter called to say, “Mom, I’ll give you $100 if you do my laundry.”  So she did it.  Sixteen loads later, fatigued and worn, she had another $100.  Through birthday gifts from family, she received another $180, and she now had more than enough to cover all of the expenses.  But she still needed a conference ticket, which would be $135.  She checked Facebook and found discounted tickets that sold only as a pair and later a third ticket entirely free.  Really needing only 1 ticket, she listed the extra ones online to sell, and she hopped in the car for what would become a thrilling trip.  Maintaining a constant seeking of the Lord, she arrived at her hotel and unpacked and headed toward the conference early to see if she could find any ticket-buyers.  Her GPS malfunctioned and caused her to miss an exit, but by this time God's hand had been so overwhelming in every detail that she just knew this was Him positioning her to sell a ticket or two.  She arrived the conference, and the first person she approached bought her ticket!  She sold it for the Early Bird price of $95, saving the woman $40 off the walk-in price.  They were both blessed!  One down; one to go.  As the conference was about to start, a woman texted to buy Tina's last ticket for $60!  Then with all the tickets handled, a new sort of blessing came.  The message "fear not" took prominence.  Back home, amidst torrential rains, Tina's dog had run away, causing her a huge gulp of concern, lending her to rely on that “fear not” message.  Also a lady sitting next to Tina spoke a stunning prophetic word, and interestingly it included that same message about fear.  And we look back now to notice something else.  When Tina first attempted to register for the conference, she tried to input 1 as the number of attendees, but the number kept spinning to 2, frustrating her and causing her to quit the registration repeatedly, though now we recognize the postponement to register was actually a blessing because the Lord would later reveal this intricate and joyful story.  And He impressed a verse on Tina’s heart during the conference.  As she had wandered into the bookstore during an intermission, she saw a beautiful plaque including that exact verse, Jeremiah 29:11, and she even had enough money to pay cash for it.  In Malachi 3:10, the Lord says when we handle money rightly, particularly tithes, He will throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that we won't have room enough for it.  And that’s what Tina experienced.  Hold fast to His word, do not fear, for He has plans to prosper us.  Still to this day the blessings of the conference keep rippling outward, all stemming from one decision to obey.  Tina didn’t spend her money, and in return the Lord spent His.

Fabric question at Hobby Lobby

This trip to Hobby Lobby was different.  With my 40%-off coupon in hand, I headed to the fabric section, and there it was.  A big roll of white cotton batting lying in wait on the shelf.  No apparent price, so I inquired at the cutting table, and the lady told me $12.99.  “May I use my 40% coupon?”  “Yes,” she replied, and as I consented to buy, she cleared the table to measure 7 yards.  Already I sensed in my heart the Lord giving me a special task.  Beyond any purchase of batting, it seemed He positioned me to ask this lady if she knew Jesus.  And she’s the one who started the conversation, “So what are you making?”  I explained about quilting for Holocaust survivors and how we’d seen God orchestrating people and events, all with impeccable timing that's leading us to make a trip to Israel.  I posed, “Do you know Jesus?”  And as her scissors began to cut my 7 yards, she answered with an affirmative nod and peered upward, “May I ask you a favor?  Would you pray for my daughter whose house burned last night?  A man was driving by late and stopped to tell them.  Half of the house was saved, and the Red Cross is helping, but would you pray?”  And I was stunned.  The Lord had used my question as a connection point for prayer.  That prompting in my heart was to encourage both the lady and me, and I continued, “What a blessing that the man drove by!  So you understand how the Lord can line up circumstances.  He led the man to drive by your daughter’s house, just like he led someone to give me a sewing machine and someone else to invite me to a quilting group because I know almost nothing about sewing.  And, yes, I will be privileged to pray for your daughter.”  It seemed a pause of pleasure filled the air for us both to contemplate the wonders of the Lord.  And as this Hobby Lobby trip held a wonderful difference about it, isn’t this the case potentially with all things?  A trip to the grocery store can be for much more than food, like the day the girl bagging our groceries asked us a Bible question.  And I remember a trip to the doctor’s office where I met a lady who was very scared, and the Lord gave opportunity for us to pray.  And on this day at Hobby Lobby, I exited the store in prayer, offering the daughter’s name to the Lord for provision and presence.  How I was blessed to be part.