An Angel Named Gary

The holidays have passed and all the decorations have been packed away for another year. We had some unseasonably warm weather in the month of December, so much so that my bearded iris bloomed! I’m not one to “dream of a white Christmas” so the warmer weather suited me just fine. I had another reason to welcome the warmer temperatures. Many of you know from my blog, “The Beautiful Road To Nowhere” that my husband and I have been on a journey of restoration. I praise God that I am writing to you today with another chapter to our story.

In June 2007, the Monday after Father’s Day my husband fell fifteen feet off a roof. He dislocated his shoulder and had nerve damage in his left arm. He was told by the doctors that he would never regain the use of his left arm. Adding to the stress of that prognosis was the fact that he was self employed and we did not have health insurance. As the weeks passed our financial situation went from bad to suffocating. One day in particular stands out to me. We were literally down to the last glass of milk and last slice of bread. Rent was over due and the cupboards were empty. My husband and I went into separate rooms and just spent time alone with the Lord.

“In my distress [when I seemed surrounded] I called upon the Lord And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry for help came before Him, into His very ears.” Psalm 18:6 (AMP)

When my prayer time was over I resumed my daily routine. As I was passing by the front window I saw a pick up truck pulling into the driveway. I asked my husband if he knew anyone who drove a black four door truck. He got up to see who it was. He said, “Well, I think it’s that guy named Gary that I did some work for a few months ago.”
When we opened the door there stood a man whom my husband had previously met only briefly. He handed my husband a piece of paper and said, “I heard that you had gotten hurt. I thought I would stop by and give you this. I have some carpenter work I need done at my house so I thought I’d pay you in advance. Whenever you feel up to it let me know.” He smiled and added, “I couldn’t remember your last name so you will have to fill that part in.” Then he turned around and left. My husband closed the door and then looked at the piece of paper…It was a check for $1500.00. Rent was paid and groceries were purchased all because of a man who heard of a need and chose to meet it.

Our problems were far from over and about a year later we found ourselves in desperate need of a new place to live. The home we were in was beautiful but we could not afford it. It caused us to sink deeper into debt with every month that passed. Once again, our new friend Gary came to our rescue. He owned a small two bedroom home in town that we could rent from him for less than half the rent we were previously paying. In addition to that if there was any carpentry work that Gary needed done he simply took Randy’s labor off the rent. It was not an attractive home, but, it was in a safe neighborhood. It was much smaller than our other home and it meant our two college age sons had to share a room. Six years passed. Slowly but surely our finances turned around. It was a time to refocus and a time to adjust priorities. We ate a lot of humble pie during that time but it turned out to be very beneficial for our souls. We didn’t invite many people over to our home. Honestly, we were embarrassed of where we lived. The roof was in such desperate need of repair that we knew it was only because of our prayers that it did not leak. There were a few mold/mildew issues as well but even having said that, that little house was a huge blessing. It has become a milestone in our life.

”The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake…”
2 Peter 3:9 (NLT)

From the day in 1995 that my husband and I moved our family from Iowa to Oklahoma I had prayed this prayer: “Lord, I thank you for our 100 fold home. 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, on an acreage, fully fenced in. In a safe, quiet, convenient location. You said in your Word that what is impossible with man IS possible with God and I thank you for it in Jesus name, amen.” (Mark 10:29 and Luke 18:27)

On November 7th 2015 I was feeling discouraged. I decided to email our Realtor and have her expand our home search to other towns around our area. It just seemed like we were not going to find the type of home we wanted in our price range. My husband said, “Let’s forget about house hunting today. We’ll just go look at some antique shops today. But, if there is anything you want to drive by on the way we can do that too.” I checked my computer one more time and saw a home that was new on the market the day before. We drove to the home. It was vacant so we got out of our car and walked around the property. Then we looked at each other and said, “We need to look at this place today because this one won’t last.” Thankfully our Realtor was available to show us the property within a few hours. On December 11, 2015 we closed on and moved into our new home. Twenty years of believing, mistakes and missed opportunities God showed Himself faithful. It is 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2.5 acres, fully fenced in, in a convenient, quiet, safe location. In the town we wanted to live in.

“It’s God’s own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from—if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open.”
Acts 10:34-36 (MSG)

What are you in need of today, my friends? Health, finances, relationships? God is for you. He loves you more than you can ever comprehend. Dig into His Word. Find a scripture promise that addresses what you are facing. God has channels and avenues to get whatever you need to you. He has a “Gary” waiting to be sent your way if you will not give up. It may seem like it will never happen, remember that His timing is perfect and you can sure it will be worth the wait.