âI think Iâm supposed to pay for your mission trip to Guatemala.â
I stared at my friend. “What did you say?”
âIâll pray about it, but I plan to write you a check for the whole amount.â
I couldnât believe my ears. What a gift!
My excitement was short-lived, however.
âUm, KimâŚ. God said âNo.ââ
âWhat?â
âHe doesnât want me to pay your way.
âAre you sure?â
She nodded.
âOK. I guess I should pray about what He has in mind instead.â
âGood idea.â
Jesus, whatâs Your plan?
After praying I felt led to write a creative fundraising letter. Ideas dropped in my mind and flowed out through my fingers. Soon I was smiling at my âParticipation Invitation.â
So the letter was written. But should I send it to everyone on my contact list? Jesus, who should I send it to?
Scrolling down the list, I felt drawn to certain names. When I finished, I counted the ones Iâd highlighted. Thirty five! Thatâs not enough, is it, Lord? Waiting in the silence, I felt Iâd heard correctly. The next day, I put 35 letters in the mail.
The first response came from an unemployed friend. She handed me a five-dollar bill and said a prayer that God would multiply it again and again. And He did. Friends and family responded with joy and generosity. A large check arrived from my best friend from high school. Her note said sheâd been saving money to give to missions. When opportunities arose, she would pray, âIs this it, Lord?â Each time she felt she should wait. When my letter arrived, she felt God say, âThis is it!â
Out of 35 letters, 31 people responded. When the donations were totaled, there was so much beyond what I needed I was able to give our team leaders $500 to buy medicines and supplies.
Years have passed since this experience, but the lessons I learned serve me well to this day. For example:
- Godâs âNoâ grew my faith. It required more to believe for the funds than to deposit a single check from one donor.
- I felt joy in hearing and obeying Godâs direction in writing  and sending the letter to specific people.
- Because each recipient was asked to pray, I had broader prayer support.
- Those who had been waiting to give experienced Godâs pleasure in their obedience. The additional $500 would not have been received if only one person had paid for my trip.
- When I returned from Guatemala I had the pleasure of sending photos and âbrag on Godâ stories to 31 people in 6 states, not to just one donor.
All these blessings could have been missed.
But thankfully, God said âNo.âÂ
âMy thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,â says the Lord. âAnd my ways are far beyond anything you could imagineâ (Isaiah 55:8 NLT)
Postscript: Three years after I returned from Guatemala, the friend who heard God say âNoâ invited me to lunch. She slipped an envelope across the table. To my astonishment, it contained $1000. With a smile she said, âGod said âYesâ this time.â
I just told this story to someone in a ministry session today! How cool!