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To
Everything There is a Season: . A Time to Weep, A Time to
Laugh.
Ecclesiastes 3
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The Glasses
My Mother's father worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he
was building some crates for the clothes his church was sending to an
orphanage in China. On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket
to find his glasses, but they were gone. When he mentally replayed his
earlier actions, he realized what had happened; the glasses had slipped
out of his pocket unnoticed and fallen into one of the crates, which he
had nailed shut. His brand new glasses were heading for China!
The Great Depression was at it's height and Grandpa had six children.
He had spent $20 for those glasses that very morning. He was upset by
the thought of having to buy another pair. "It's not fair," he told God
as he drove home in frustration. "I've been very faithful in giving of
my time and money to your work, and now this."
Months later, the director of the orphanage was on furlough in the
United States. He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him
in China, so he came to speak one Sunday at my grandfather's small
church in Chicago. The missionary began by thanking the people for
their faithfulness in supporting the orphanage.
"But most of all," he said, "I must thank you for the glasses you sent
last year. You see, the Communists had just swept through the
orphanage, destroying everything, including my glasses. I was
desperate. Even if I had the money, there was simply no way of
replacing those glasses. Along with not being able to see well, I
experienced headaches every day, so my co-workers and I were much in
prayer about this.
Then your crates arrived. When my staff removed the covers, they found
a pair of glasses lying on top."
The missionary paused long enough to let his words sink in. Then, still
gripped with the wonder of it all, he continued, "Folks, when I tried
on the glasses, it was as though they had been custom made just for me!
I want to thank you for being a part of that."
The people listened, happy for the miraculous glasses. But the
missionary surely must have confused their church with another, they
thought. There were no glasses on their list of items to be sent
overseas. But sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down
his face, an ordinary carpenter realized the Master Carpenter had used
him in an extraordinary way.
There are times we want to blame God instead of thanking Him! Perhaps
it is something we ought to try more often: "Thank you God for not
allowing my car to start this morning." He may have been saving your
life from a car accident.
"God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by
Christ Jesus."
- - - - - - - Phil 4:19
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Return HOME from The
Glasses
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