More Than Enough

Posted by Tia Ciferno and filed in Blog

Julia and I have been making visits to local businesses for donations of goods or services for a Live and Silent Auction that will raise money for her missions trip to West Africa this summer.  It has been an amazing adventure meeting so many business owners and having some fantastic..long…conversations about their lives.  Almost every destination has been like that, and God has even sent us places that weren’t on our given list to visit, and those encounters have been so ordained. 

Last week Julia called a beautiful shop that sells high end purses etc, and that had offered to donate over a hundred dollars worth of items. In February we had visited there and met the clerk.He was wonderful and asked us to call in April and he would have a gift bag ready. When Julia made her phone call to them last week, she reached a woman who said they wouldn’t be able to help.  It was a big blow since we had counted that money in our goal amount.

Well, today we went there in person to see what was up.  We prayed in the car that we would be a loving witness even in their rejection…shining for Him, friendly and kind, even if they could give nothing at all. But of course we prayed that we would see the other clerk there and that God would bring in the finances He needed to send Julia and the others to help the orphans across the sea.

When we walked in that friendly gentleman was at the counter, and he smiled at us with recognition.  We chatted awhile and then he asked us when it was that we needed their donation!  We didn’t mention the phone call, and he didn’t either, so it was wonderful…confusing, but wonderful! 

At that moment a woman came through a doorway. It was the mother of a friend of ours, and she was choosing a purse for a trip.  Donna looked surprised to see us and asked why we were there.  I told her about Julia’s trip and how this shop was so GENEROUSLY giving towards the auction.  Then Donna, (owner of her own business) said excitedly…” I want to give too!  I’ll give a gift certificate for $100.”

We walked out of that shop stunned.  God not only restored the original donation, but surprised us by ADDING to that with no effort on our part at all.  How He must love to do those things and show just how much He loves us, and how IN CONTROL He is. 

My Julia was really touched. So was her mom.