A
problem with getting vehicles given to you is that then you have to decide what
to do with the old one. I would like to say that each time we sold it and made
money, but that was not the case. Several times the Lord instructed us to give
the old one away.
The
first time that we gave away a vehicle was right after someone had just given
us a new (used) van, I thought that we should sell the old one because we could
use the money. I spoke with Cathy who stated that she thought that instead we
should pray about who to give it to. So we did and the Lord gave the name of
the same couple to both of us individually.
Excited,
we plotted as to how to tell them the good news. We met with them after church
one day and they joyfully took our old vehicle which still was in very good
shape. Truly it does feel better to give than to receive!
About
two weeks after we gave the vehicle to them, I heard that they had sold it for
cash! I was a little bothered by this and complained to Cathy, and she reminded
me that our part was to give it way, what they did after they got it wasn’t our
concern.
On
paper that sounds good, but I still felt as though my generosity had been taken
advantage of so I decided to meet with the couple to get their perspective.
They
told me that when we gave them the vehicle they were grateful even though they
didn’t really need it. What they needed was money for a down payment for a
house. They told me that he drove it to work for two weeks and then realized
why we gave them the car. He had been witnessing to coworkers telling them that
he believed that the Lord would give them the money that they need for the down
payment. They in turn ridiculed and mocked his faith
When
he drove the car to work, his coworkers inquired as to how he got the vehicle
and how much he had paid for it. He told them the story and they were
intrigued. He said that if he had simply got the money for the down payment, it
would be hard to prove to them. But the vehicle, that was hard to dispute.
I
had almost missed the bigger picture of the Lord using the situation to not
only provide for two families but to prove His faithfulness to a bunch of
coworkers who need to know who He is and what He has done for them through
Jesus Christ.
“Tell those
rich in this world’s wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed
with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God,
who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in
helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they’ll build a
treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life.” (1 Timothy 6:17-18
MSG)
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