Window on the
World
Window on the
World
By Randal Dick
Superintendent of missions
Pardon a headline that sounds a little bit like The National Enquirer, but here is a story too good not to share. It involves a wonderful woman with a beautiful attitude and a simple but profound faith. I hope this story edifies you as much as it has my staff and me.
About a year ago I wrote a Window on the World article featuring a congregation in the Philippines that was determined not to reduce their financial commitment to the gospel, so they employed what they called a faith-promise program, thereby raising the necessary funds. (WN December 1999). A couple of months later, I wrote about the outstanding example of the Faith Orphanage in Zambia. Subsequently the message below was forwarded to me.
I am a longtime member. I have a faith promise that I want to send to Randal Dick for the Faith Orphanage Foundation in Zambia. I don't know who to make the check out to, nor do I know where to send it. I thank you for any help you can send me.
Love, hugs and prayers to all.
I wrote back offering to help the woman connect directly with the orphanage. I expressed an interest in knowing her story. She responded with the message below.
I am a widow and I am 63 and am not employed. God placed it on my heart to send something to the orphanage, and I said something like: How, Lord? I send money to the church, and I have no extra money to send to the orphanage. But I told him if he sent me the money, I would send it. It is a long story, He did and I will, so thanks for your help.
Love, hugs and prayers to all.
I wrote back to Mrs. X, telling her that I found her story inspiring and would she mind if I shared it with others in Window on the World? I received back the following:
I do not mind sharing my story. but please do not put my name on it if it is published, as this is something between God and me, and I do not intend for it to be talked about with others, but if my story would be encouraging to others, then share it, without my name, please.
If you do publish it, can you send me a copy of it? I have a webtv unit (I am a 63-year-old widow, and I am trying to learn this computer stuff, ha ha, don't want to be left in the dust) but I cannot print anything. I can just surf the net and send e-mails.
A little background, so you will understand where I am coming from.
I picked up the December 1999 issue to see what articles I had not yet read--only two or so, and one of them was yours on faith promise giving on pages 22-23.
After I read it, I thought, Wow, isn't that great? I started talking to God about it and then I told God something like, Father, I am on a fixed income. I am 63, a widow and because of health problems, I can't work, but I would love to do this, so I tell you what. You give me (x number of dollars ) and I will send it to the Faith Orphanage.
I don't know how you are going to do it. It will be exciting to see how you do it, because I don't know of any money I have coming to me from anywhere, but I will send that money as you give it to me, all at once or however you send it to me.
The next day or so, my uncle talked to me (he lives about 180 miles from me) and asked if I would help him, to go and check up on my aunt who lives on a farm. She is a widow and elderly.
I said that I do go every now and then, and will go more often if you wish. He said he wanted to pay me, and I said, No, you don't need to do that, I will be glad to do it.
He said, No, I couldn't do it for him if he couldn't pay me. So I said OK, I would. He is my only uncle left in the family now.
To make a long story short, I have done a lot of leg work for him, since he lives so far away, and emergencies have come up that he could not get down here for, such as plumbing problems and picking up tax papers and sending them to him.
When he paid me, it was more than I thought it should be, and I told him I would get change for the big bill, and he said, No, all of it was for me. I said that is too much and then I realized I had the beginnings of the amount I had promised God to send if he gave me the money. I was so happy and excited.
Since God is getting the glory and all the credit here, I will tell you the amount I told him I would faith promise to give to the orphanage--$500--and I have $100 of it already. I will keep in touch with you as God gives me the rest of the money to send to the orphanage.
Love, hugs and prayers to all, and thanks for all your help to me with this, it is much appreciated.
Well, today I wired the faith-promised money to Faith Orphanage Foundation. When I first went to my bank to find out how much it would cost to wire the money to Zambia, the woman said $40. I left and I was disappointed because I did not want to take $40 from the promised money just to wire it there.
So I e-mailed the Faith Orphanage to see if I just couldn't send them a check? I didn't hear from them for some time, so since I now had the full promised money I wanted to know what to do.
So I e-mailed them again. I got an e-mail back apologizing for the delay in answering me. They said that it was really best to wire it. As I went to the bank the thought came to me, Ask them since it is a donation to an orphanage, would the bank consider waiving the wire fee?
This time I had a different woman to help me, and I asked her and she didn't know, but she went to ask someone, and I silently told God, I will add the wire fee to the amount if I don't have to pay it.
She came back and said yes they would waive the fee to send it. I asked how much would it have been if I had had to pay, and she said $15, so I said to add $20 to the amount I am wiring and she did.
I faith-promised in March a certain amount. From March to this month it added up to that amount and a little extra, so even the $20 that was added to the faith promise amount was from God. None of this money was earned.
One day I found a penny and that was added to the faith- promise amount. God tells us if we are faithful in little we will be faithful in much.
Got to go for now. Take care. I send my love, hugs to all and prayers.
Mrs. X, it is inspiring to see how you seek to plant yourself squarely in the path of Christ's will. Thank you for sharing your story, and may God continue to richly bless your faith.
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 2000