by Crystal Bowman
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 NIV.
I was beyond excited to attend the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA) conference this year. I was unable to attend for the past two years, so this was a long-awaited trip. My early morning flight was delayed, but I made my connection. When I landed in St. Louis, I saw two AWSA gals and we agreed to share a cab. My friends pulled their luggage from the carousel while I waited for mine to appear. But it didn’t. As the noisy carousel made a few more laps with some unclaimed bags, it still hadn’t appeared.
I told my friends to leave, and I’d catch up with them later. The hotel and convention center were not far from the airport, so it wouldn’t cost much for a solo ride. After an hour, my suitcase showed up, and I rolled my luggage to the nearest taxicab. When a kind man jumped out to assist with my cumbersome bags, I told him where I needed to go, and soon we were on our way. Though hard to understand, the driver initiated a wonderful conversation about God. I smiled and nodded in agreement. The ride took longer than expected, but we finally arrived at the hotel and convention center. After paying a hefty fare and generous tip, I rolled my bags to the reception counter in the lobby.
“My name is Crystal Bowman and I’m here to check in,” I said with a tired smile. The hotel clerk scanned the computer for my name but couldn’t find it. “I’m so sorry, Dear, but you’re at the wrong hotel. You need to be at our hotel near the airport. I’ll call a cab.” My heart caught in my throat. I was weary from traveling, had just spent more money than I wanted to, and I was in the wrong place!
The next taxi arrived, and a kind gentleman jumped out to help with my bags. As soon as we were on the expressway, he began a wonderful conversation about God. I smiled and nodded in agreement. After a thirty-minute ride, we arrived at the correct hotel. I paid an even heftier fare and another tip. Since this was way more money than I intended to spend on cab rides, I was terribly upset and frustrated. My heart pounded and my head hurt.
Once inside my room, I unpacked a few things, then lay down to relax. I was physically and emotionally exhausted. Anger and frustration consumed me. Then the Holy Spirit put some thoughts into my head. (I know myself and these thoughts were not my thoughts): These cab drivers belong to Me. They need the money more than you do. They haven’t worked in more than a year, so I used you to provide for them.
When we look at Scripture, we can see how God provides in unusual ways. Hagar had to leave home with her young son, Ishmael, and they soon ran out of water. In her hopelessness, she placed Ishmael under a bush to die. But God heard cries and provided a well in the middle of the wilderness. When the Israelites were hungry in the desert, God rained manna from heaven in the morning and sent quail in the evening. When Elijah needed a time of rest, God directed him to a place where he could drink from a brook and sent ravens to bring him food twice a day.
When I let those thoughts sink in, my emotions did a 180-degree turn. Peace and joy replaced anger and frustration. I was excited again—not only for the conference to begin, but because God used me to provide a little something extra for two cab drivers who loved Him.
One final thought occurred to me as I processed that experience: It’s God’s money and not mine. He provided for the cab drivers, and He will also provide for me.
This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).
About the author: Crystal Bowman is a bestselling, award-winning author of more than 100 books including, Our Daily Bread for Kids.She and her husband have three married children and seven huggable grandchildren.
When a child’s grandparent or great-grandparent is afflicted with dementia, it’s difficult to explain the disease in a way that helps the child understand why the person they love is not the same. I Love You to the Stars–When Grandma Forgets, Love Remembers, is a picture book inspired by a true story to help young children understand that even though Grandma is acting differently, she still loves them–to the stars!
Join the conversation: Has God provided for you in unexpected ways?
Arise DAILY Devos 