Time Out! Devotions

I remember one Sunday when I was 17. I was working part-time and tithing my money. I had learned in church that ten cents of every dollar I made belonged to the Lord. So that morning I was supposed to put in $17. All I had, though, was a $20 bill. As I placed the $20 bill into the offering plate, I said silently, “Well, Lord, I’m really only supposed to offer seventeen. But You can keep the change. After all, I guess You can’t make change for a twenty.”

Then, I heard a still voice say, “I can do anything. All you have to do is ask.” Surprised, I replied, “No, Lord, it’s Yours. Put it to good use.”

And again the voice came: “I can do anything.”

Finally I said, “Okay, Lord, I have to admit my finances are awfully tight. I need every penny for college savings. If you could give me my three dollars in change that would be great.”

As I left the service I couldn’t help laughing to myself. How would the Lord ever fulfill this one?

Sunday passed by, as did Monday and Tuesday. I was ready to forget my three-dollar conversation with God. But on Wednesday the manager of the restaurant where I worked came to me and said, “Here’s a small bonus. Last month’s sales exceeded our projections.”

Into my hand the manager placed three crisp one-dollar bills.

I offered my silent thanks and then sat, thinking, If the Lord can make change for a twenty, He can certainly change my life.

And He has – all for the better!

(by Dennis Pieper from Guideposts‘ Best Loved Stories 1997 – A Treasury of Guidance and Hope)