Just in Case

Bob Arnold, LBA Vice-Chair

I ran into a guy I’ve known for many years, and he told me this story. And, sorry, I promised not to reveal his name.

Anyway, he was making a call to one of his employer’s customers. While waiting at the receptionist’s desk he noticed a toy baby bottle with money inside. The receptionist explained that her church was collecting money to help out either unwed mothers or other ladies who needed financial support and she, the receptionist, put this bottle right where people entering the business could see it and contribute if they felt moved to.

The guy telling me the story always carried a $100 bill in his wallet, that no one knew about, even though he always used his credit card for purchases. The money was there “just in case.”

If you’re old enough to remember the old Maverick television series, it’s the same thing he did and probably where my friend got the idea. Maverick would keep a “just in case” $100 bill pinned inside his jacket that no one knew about in case of emergencies.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Even though he had the bill in his wallet, he told the receptionist that he didn’t have any cash on him to put in the bottle. That’s when she said, “Oh go on, get that $100 bill out of your wallet.”

And he did! He told me it was like the Holy Spirit telling him to do it, through the receptionist.

So, here’s the point. She listened to God’s Spirit when she took the bottle and put it out at work. He listened to the Holy Spirit when told to take the $100 out of his wallet. But my friend said that the best part was that God had basically told him to put a $100 bill in his wallet months ago. And it was there for just that moment.

So, yes, God does work in mysterious ways. But as my friend told me, “We’ve got to listen to Him. And then we get the thrill of seeing how He’s working.”