The Rear View

As a cautious driver, I try to keep a constant watch on what's ahead of me, what's around me, and what is behind me. The rear view mirror shows me not only what is coming up behind me, but it shows what I've already passed.

I have a couple of sweet ladies in my life who I get to see several days a week when they keep my children at the gym. I know they work hard for what they have and they even have second jobs they do after they leave the gym. Last week, I felt compelled to give them both a monetary gift, but something was trying to talk me out of giving them money on that day. You see, it was raining as we had drove into the gym parking lot. The thought of grabbing my three children, my iPOD, the umbrella, my keys and the money I was going to give them just seemed like too much for me to carry in. "I'll give them the money tomorrow, maybe it won't be raining then," I told myself. But the Holy Spirit kept telling me, take the money. Finally, after going back and forth in my heart, I pushed the money down in my sports bra (real lady-like, right?). But I had no more free hands.

We all made it inside and I handed the children off to them. "The Lord told me to give you this today," I told them as I handed each of them the money. "I know it's not much, but it's what I have at the moment." They stood there with their mouths wide open. Then one of them started jumping up and down, crying, like she had been offered a contestant's spot on "The Price Is Right". One told me, "I had a bill due today I knew I couldn't pay. This will take care of it!" she said. The other looked at me and said, "I can't believe this. I drove here today on empty. No gas in my tank," she said. "I figured after work, I would just pray myself home and hope I made it without running out of gas on the road. The Lord knew that!" she said with excitement. "This is gonna fill my tank!"

When I walked out of the room, I realized God had just done a miracle for those two ladies. But in order for that to happen, I had to get out of the way.

Sometimes, you can't see what God has done until you look in the rear view mirror of your life.