When is a load of coal more then a load of coal ?

Julie and I are on the long road to Kyrgyzstan .. starting with the milk run bus to the airport then on to  Kyrgyzstan .. then over night in Paris and then on through Turkey .. we will not arrive until  Wednesday ... this route is $700 each cheaper then the regular route.  enough for a couple loads of coal.   Speaking of coal , We had ordered the coal for delivery tomorrow.  we knew it was going to be the good coal so we ordered a second load, even though I was short the $475 needed .  I went ahead and set up the transfer and said to Julie, I am believing the before church is over this morning the funds will be in our account.   I really needed this .. When is coal more then just coal ? When something like coal can not only bless a family but when coal is a sign from God that he is Before us , He is With us and he follows us.   For someone in need , we are the answer .. like a load of coal I will share some things going on with us besides just the coal , and if I remember I will finish this story at the end of this post. 

I got an urgent call for help yester day , actually a couple .  There is a shepherd who is a "Brother" who lost his home in a fire a couple nights ago.  We have been asked to help him get something together before winter.  I will look into this as soon as we get there and hopefully by then this will have impressed on some of you to help so that we can do something .  For this Brother , we may be his load of coal !

   

When this came in I was a little bit distracted.  We had been waiting on a call for my mother to get into a nursing home .. My brother is just out of the hospital so caring for mom is difficult for him, But time had run out so Friday I flew with Mom up to Thunder bay, rent a car and drive her to his home then return back home .  on the way up, the young guy in the seat in our row buckled over and gasped to me " I am having a heart attack !"  that brought some distraction as we called for a dr. on board and were able to get him so care, oxygen and a deliberator.  Before his episode we had talked a bit, but I don't always tell all when I share about what I do for a living ..  As I sat across from him contemplating ,  I started to feel convicted .. He needed to know that I had sent out a call to our prayer group , so when he started to come around , I went back to him and told him that I was actually a missionary and that If he wanted I would be praying for him ..    

The conviction for me was that sometimes the answer that people may need when calling on God is us !  at this moment we were able to bring peace and be his load of coal ! 

I then got a text from Acel.  their family has been having a difficult time with proper school for their kids .. She went with Kamala when Kamala was registering her girls that were just sponsored , she saw the school and called me and said , is there any way that she could have this for her girls too.  I fully agree that this would be the best for them .. that is another $5000 for the year!  That is a BIG load of coal!

 

After receiving these requests for help, I dropped Mom off at my brothers .. and was driving along singing   "I sought the Lord and He heard and he answered "  with that the car app began to read a message to me .. It was from my brother " They just called and mom has a bed next week "  I pulled over and called the home and managed to get through to the intake coordinator and do the intake over the phone.  She emailed all the necessary documents to me so I could sign them and send them into the home before I left for Kyrgyzstan ( ALL 180 PAGES) , I called my sister and the airlines and arranged for her to go back up and pick mom up next week and bring her to the home. 

Mom always said , Think of three good things .. so here goes 

1. Don gets to have one moor week with Mom before she goes into care.         2. Kim gets to be a vital part in the care for mom.  3. I was able to do all the paper work before leaving , and I had always said it would be best for mom and I if I was not the one to bring her to the home .. 

Oh did I mention that the water had stopped at my house .. so in the middle of this a good friend came over and we went down into the old dug well and found that it was as simple as a defective check valve and we were back in business .. but was not a needed stressor.  

So that led to this morning , we were all packed , everything looked after , except for the fact that I still needed $475 in the bank  for my  load of coal ..

 The pastor even made mention about "I sought the Lord and He heard and he answered."  with that my phone vibrated.. I am still on high alert with Mom so I looked at the phone and saw a message " I John , I am sending the money direct to your account in a few Minutes.... 

That was my load of coal .. it was the final stressor being lifted .. I sought the Lord , and He DID hear and he Did answer , and He clearly reminded me that He is before me, He is with me and he does follow after me ... So when is a load of coal more then a load of coal ?  Its when it is a reminder that we are in Gods hands ... I have been on the verge of a good cry today as the pressures of life are lifting ... I fully understand when I see people we are helping break down when they receive their load of coal ... because a load of coal is often MORE then a load of coal