Some folks view God as a grumpy old man with a penchant for smiting those who are misbehaving. To those who know Him better, He is a loving heavenly Father who provides for the needs of His children sometimes in unusual ways.
Years ago, on a mission's trip to St. Lucia, W.I., I was supported only by my earnings from working for a year in a grungy barrel factory where they washed and repainted used oil drums. Thus it was necessary for me to live on a strict budget. There were many food items that I would have liked to buy but found them too expensive - one of them being eggs. Rather selfishly, I prayed that the Lord would supply me with eggs. I had no idea how the Lord would do such a thing but I will say that I did not expect a chicken to walk into the living rooms and lay an egg on the rug. What the Lord did do was to use a hard working house maid on meagre wages to supply my need and teach me a valuable lesson. Not only did this maid supply a half dozen eggs but a tin of sweetened, condensed milk, half pound of butter, and a package of sweet biscuits as well. I was extremely humbled by her generosity and careful afterwards of what I prayed. A man, in the church I was helping to build, heard the story. He had a chicken farm and thereafter supplied me with any eggs I needed.
My second story involves my wife when she was carrying our first child and craving strawberries. At the time, we were living in South Africa. Her craving seemed like it would be something that God would be unable to satisfy. Even if it were possible, where does one find fresh strawberries in Africa?
It happened that we were staying overnight with another missionary couple in the home of a grand-daughter of Smith Wigglesworth, the English evangelist. To our amazement, after hearing of my wife's craving, she said, "I know somebody that can help you!" Later that day we drove out with her to a farm outside Pretoria where a farmer specialized in growing strawberries under plastic tarps for export to Israel. The strawberries were eye-popping gorgeous. The man explained that they could only export perfect berries and the ones with blemishes were thrown away. He took us over to a hug plastic bin chock-a-block full of strawberries that did not come up to par. "Take as many as you like. They only go to waste here." My wife's craving for fresh strawberries was satisfied and she was also able to make jars of strawberry jam for use in the months ahead. Sometimes I think that God has a sense of humour.
