Gifts

i have a dear friend who needs a job. somehow we were able to scrape a bit together to give her some money to help her make her rent and bills. i just feel for her. this is what we are called to do. be the body. be the church. if someone is in need of clothes, give them clothes...if they need food, give food. if they need money...get the point? in acts chapter 2 is says:
42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need....
this is what we are suppose to do...i just wish i could give more...
then the lord gave back to us...
i am usually the one that is so willing to support, serve, bake, give whatever is needed to help others. it doesn't really occur to me that i should also be the recipient of someone elses gifts. that is a discipline. it's a discpline to give just as much as it is a discpline to receive...i'm learning this!
case in point...we have dear friends who committed to giving us some money each month for three months in a effort to help us save for the months that i don't get paid to teach (as an adjunct, i only get paid when i teach, not throughout the year...and i don't get benefits either...at least we do with ry's job!). so january and feb were going to be rough. so rough we thought that ry would have to get a second job. our friend's generousity, although pretty hard to receive since i know they need the month too, is amazing. i'd give them money in a heartbeat...and they did for us.
yesterday my father in law just handed me money and said he knew we needed some help. again, didn't ask. what does god see ahead of us that he knows we'll need this? off to savings it goes. in times past, we'd go out to eat with it, party it up with that extra cash...and i'm so stoked to say it's going in savings!! ah....lord, thank you for those little gifts here and there. how does that happen??!! it's the prompting of your spirit in others...seriously...lord,....i'm humbled....thank you. please bless the families who are coming along side us and helping us in this time...bless them...provide clarity for their lives as they begin to transition and bring my dear sister a job that will give her vacation pay and benefits. amen.
how have you seen the lord provide for you? it may not be as blatent as money handed to you...it could be in so many other ways...please share!