Postage Due

The faculty prayer group at my school meets every Tuesday morning. Last week, one of my colleagues brought three cards for everyone to sign. Two were get well cards (for other faculty members), and one was a sympathy card for a teacher who recently lost her father.

The dozen or so people who attended our prayer group that day signed the cards, but there was still plenty of room left for more well-wishes. So I asked one of our assistant principals to help spread the word to the rest of our faculty. She sent an email inviting everyone (over 100 staff members) to sign, and left the cards by our head principal’s in-basket.

When I picked up the three cards two days later they were completely covered with handwritten words of encouragement! All that was left to do was to put them in the mail.

But I forgot to bring stamps.

“Maybe I have some in my desk,” I said to myself, hopefully. Now, I’m one of those people who stuffs their desk drawers full of anything that might even REMOTELY be needed in the future. But did I save any stamps?

I foraged through the drawers one at time—rooting around like a frisky ferret. Nothing. Finally, I checked the top middle drawer. And right there in the tray, next to the paper clips, were some first class forever stamps.

Wanna guess how many?

Not two, not four but THREE. Exactly the number I needed! I said a joyful, “Thank you, Jesus!” and got those letters in the mail.

Where God guides, God provides.

The Lord knew all along when I would need those stamps. I can’t even remember when I left them in that drawer! But they were still there when the time came.

I’m not saying the creator of the universe is like a gumball machine. But He DOES get the job done—especially when His glory is at stake (Isaiah 48:11b).

It’s impressive that God also used three people, who each filled distinct roles, to make this ministry opportunity happen. One thoughtful teacher provided the cards, our assistant principal got out the word, and I put them in the mail.

“By yourself you’re unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped” Ecclesiastes 4:12

Do you have any “three stranded rope” friends in your life? I hope so. Humans (especially Christian ones) are designed for interdependence—not just with God, but also with each other (Romans 12:19).