A Larger Lesson

As Kevin requested, I wanted to share my experience with the reverse offering request he made during last Sunday's service. First of all, I need to say that I am not a an "official" member of the Church of the Cove. I have been attending Sunday morning services at the Cove, as a visitor, for the last 4 Sundays. God willing, I'll be there this Sunday too.

I had read about Kevin Cross's visit and his plan for the reverse offering in the Maryville Daily Times on Saturday, so I knew it was coming before I got to the service on Sunday. Therefore, my intention was to not participate, since I am not a member, and to just put an offering in the plate as I had done the previous Sundays. However, that is not what God had planned for me. When the reverse offering came to my row, I decided to take an envelope and then thought to myself "I'll just put a double offering in next Sunday". Then Darren assured everyone after Kevin spoke that we could still give our offering if we felt led to after the service. Well after the service, it still did not seem right to put my offering in the plate, so I said my goodbyes and left. On the way home, I live in Alcoa by the way, I opened my envelope to see a $10.00 bill. For some reason, I felt God was telling me to put my personal offering into the envelope with the $10.00, so that is what I did.

Now immediately, I began to try and think of the best way to put this offering to work for God. All the way home, I was looking for that one person that God was going to show me; a stranded motorist, a homeless person, a poor family in line at the restaurant where I ate lunch, you know, somebody "deserving" enough to give the offering to. Well, I didn't see anybody that "fit the description" all the way home so I thought, no big deal, its still Sunday and I have 6 more days to do this and report my results.

Well Sunday passed...then Monday came and went without seeing anybody that "fit my profile" and now Tuesday was here. I was in line at Food City to pay for my grocery items and the lady in front of me had lots of groceries, so I was patiently waiting my turn and watching. I noticed she had some paperwork on the checkout bar that had the letters WIC on it. I knew that to be the Government assistance program for low-income families that need extra help with basic food items. I thought "This could be it!" This is the one God wants me to help", but then I remembered I had left the envelope with the offering in it, in my car. At that moment, I was distracted by the cashier at the next aisle over who said she could take me at her register, so I went over to her register paid for my stuff and left. I felt guilty, thinking here I had passed up on the one God wanted me to give to. Then I rationalized to myself, maybe she was not the right one and God will still provide "the one" at another time.

Now it was Wednesday, and I was headed to Chik-fil-A for dinner and happened to see a young lady sitting on the ground, near a major intersection in Maryville. She was holding a cardboard sign, but I could not read it from the distance I was at. She was on the opposite side of the street from me and I was headed in the opposite direction from her. I thought at that moment, "God, now this has to be the one You want me to give the offering to". I had no idea what the sign said, but I assumed she was asking for food or money. Well, I was only a few yards from Chick-fil-A, so I reasoned within myself "I'll just swing through the drive-thru real fast, get my food, and then head back to where she was and give her the offering".....it will take 4-5 minutes tops...no harm..no foul. So I went through, got my food and drove back to where the young lady was.....and she was gone! What? Where could she be...I pulled over and looked around and could not see her. I know God was wanting me to give her the offering. Why couldn't she have waited just five more minutes?

Needless to say, I was disappointed and again felt guilty for not helping someone that God had clearly put in front of me. For the past few days, I had been praying and asking God to show me where he wanted me to put this offering. I felt He had been answering me and pointing these folks out to me, but yet I could not seem to get it done.

Well Thursday rolled around, and I went out to lunch at one of the local Ruby Tuesday's. I never go to sit down restaurants like these for lunch because of work time constraints, but this day was different, work was slow and I needed a good break. I had planned on going to a fast food chain, but changed my mind at the last minute. Anyway, I went in sat down and ordered my food. While eating my salad and waiting on my main dish, I began casually watching/listening to the interaction between a waitress and an elderly couple seated in the booth beside mine. Apparently the couple had each ordered the same meal, but the waitress misunderstood and thought they were going to share a meal. So when she brought out their food, there was only one dish and she brought an empty plate "just in case the other wanted to have a bite", the waitress said. Well the couple calmly explained that they had both ordered the same dish and that one would not be enough for the both of them. The elderly lady also explained that part of her dish was incorrectly prepared. The waitress was really embarrassed and profusely apologized and vowed to get another dish prepared as quickly as possible. The waitress also offered to keep the one dish on a hot plate while the other was being prepared so it would not get cold.

By the time the elderly couples food was properly prepared and brought out, I had finished my meal and was ready to pay for it and leave. At that moment I felt like God was tugging on my heart to pay for the elderly couples meal as well. I wasn't sure why, because they did not "fit my profile", but I was not going to let another opportunity slip by me. So when my waitress came around I asked for the elderly couples bill to be put with mine, and she obliged without hesitation. After paying the bills, I got up to leave and the elderly couples waitress came up to me and said "Thank-you very much!". I did not speak to the elderly couple and as far as I know they did not know that their meal had been paid for until sometime after I had left.

I detailed the above events in order to share with you how, I believe, God used the entire experience to teach and remind me valuable lessons of His offering of Grace towards His children. Unlike what I was doing, God does not go about looking for someone that is "deserving" of His offering of Grace. His offering of Grace is freely available to all...A..W..L....all (sorry I had to throw Darren's favorite phrase in there).

I had been looking for someone that would "fit the profile" that I had in my head of somebody who "deserved" the offering. But God led me to the elderly couple who did not "fit my profile" that I had initially set out to find. They did not "deserve" it....they did not "earn" it, and they did not "win" it. Sadly, but thankfully, I was wrong in my thinking and God was willing to be patient with me and remind me how His offering of Grace works. Because, if God was only looking for people who "fit the profile" of "deserving" His offering of Grace, I would surely not fit and be doomed to Hell. Thankfully, His Grace is offered undeserved, unmerited, and unearned to all who will receive.

Thanks for letting me share my experience.

P.S. - As it turned out, the cost of the elderly couple's meal was almost exactly the amount of money that was in my offering envelope, so I accept this as confirmation from God that this was what He wanted.

--Stephen Halcomb