Life as a River
$24.99 Hedge Clippers
Lonnie Riley I am sharing a story as told by Lonnie Riley of Lynch, Kentucky. Lonnie and Belinda Riley are living examples of 'His Rivers'. The following is from their book, Miracle in the Mountains - Experiencing the Transforming Power of Faith in the Heart of Appalachia.
I hope it will encourage you to be an obedient 'river'.
I hope it will encourage you to be an obedient 'river'.
"When we really looked at our street, the two-and-a-half mile long section of Main Street that defines the boundaries of Lynch (Kentucky, there were thirteen empty houses, most of them framed by overgrown hedges. It looked like a jungle. We knew that we were to do something about what we saw. I said, 'Well, God called us here to help people, so the least I can do is make the town look better'. I drove the thirty miles to the nearest big store and bought a set of hedge trimmers for $24.99. I also bought a one hundred-foot extension cord. Then I went up and down the street clipping the hedges in front of all those empty houses. Little did we know that in that simple act God would give His first words to us about how we were to live by faith.
During that spring of hedge-trimming, a young man stopped by our house and said something like this: 'Somebody told me you are a preacher, and I really need help. I need seventy-five dollars. My kids are hungry, my car's torn up, and I can't get to work'. I had no reason to doubt the man's need because there were so many needy people in Lynch and no one just 'passes through Lynch looking for a handout. So I said to the him, 'Man, I don't have seventy-five dollars, but if God gives me seventy-five dollars, I'll know who it belongs to.'
Two days after the hedge trimming experience, Belinda and I were in our back yard scraping paint off an old door when a woman pulled up in a Jeep with Ohio license plates. She got out of the vehicle, crossed her arms, and said. 'I've come to pay my bill.' I replied, 'Ma'am, you don't owe me a bill that I know of. I don't even know who you are.' She said, 'I'm the owner of the empty house up the street three doors from you, and I was going to pay to have my hedges clipped like I always do. I am going to pay you because you did such a good job.'
The woman then took out a one hundred dollar bill, placed it on the old door and said, 'Now, if you don't pick up that hundred dollar bill, it will just lay there.' Then she got in her care and drove off. Now, you don't say that to a broke preacher in Eastern Kentucky and not see action. I though, 'I'm going to Western Sizzlin over in Harlan tonight and get me a steak.' (Don't worry, I was going to take Belinda too) I picked up the money and began to make plans to drive the thirty miles to the steak house. I could almost taste the steak.
But God got to me first. As I walked into our house, it was as if He said, 'Lonnie, you remember that yesterday you told that boy that if I gave you seventy-five dollars, you'd give it to him. I just gave you more than seventy-five dollars.' I immediately replied, 'Lord, You are right.'
You can't imagine the joy in my heart as I went inside and called the young man. 'Listen, I just want you to know that God's been good to you today,' I said. 'I told you that if God gave me seventy-five-dollars, I would give it to you. Well, God just gave me seventy-five dollars, and I'm going to give it to you. i just want you to know that when your family sits down to dinner tonight to a warm meal for the first time in a long time, and you are able to drive your car to work in the next few days, God has been extremely goo to you.'
As soon as I had hung up, I headed out the back door to deliver the money. Before I had gotten far, it was as if God touched me on the shoulder and spoke audibly to me. He said, 'Now Lonnie, I just want you to know that not only did I give that boy the $75, but also I paid you back the $24.99 for your hedge clippers all in one shot.'
Wow! I could hardly wait to tell Belinda what I was learning about waiting on a new word from God. As I look back, I now see that all waiting carries a test with it; will we take matters in our own hands, or will we really wait on God? Waiting means we do not take into our hands what only God can do. God tests us to see if we are willing to make changes in our thinking that will result in our utter dependence on Him."
During that spring of hedge-trimming, a young man stopped by our house and said something like this: 'Somebody told me you are a preacher, and I really need help. I need seventy-five dollars. My kids are hungry, my car's torn up, and I can't get to work'. I had no reason to doubt the man's need because there were so many needy people in Lynch and no one just 'passes through Lynch looking for a handout. So I said to the him, 'Man, I don't have seventy-five dollars, but if God gives me seventy-five dollars, I'll know who it belongs to.'
Two days after the hedge trimming experience, Belinda and I were in our back yard scraping paint off an old door when a woman pulled up in a Jeep with Ohio license plates. She got out of the vehicle, crossed her arms, and said. 'I've come to pay my bill.' I replied, 'Ma'am, you don't owe me a bill that I know of. I don't even know who you are.' She said, 'I'm the owner of the empty house up the street three doors from you, and I was going to pay to have my hedges clipped like I always do. I am going to pay you because you did such a good job.'
The woman then took out a one hundred dollar bill, placed it on the old door and said, 'Now, if you don't pick up that hundred dollar bill, it will just lay there.' Then she got in her care and drove off. Now, you don't say that to a broke preacher in Eastern Kentucky and not see action. I though, 'I'm going to Western Sizzlin over in Harlan tonight and get me a steak.' (Don't worry, I was going to take Belinda too) I picked up the money and began to make plans to drive the thirty miles to the steak house. I could almost taste the steak.
But God got to me first. As I walked into our house, it was as if He said, 'Lonnie, you remember that yesterday you told that boy that if I gave you seventy-five dollars, you'd give it to him. I just gave you more than seventy-five dollars.' I immediately replied, 'Lord, You are right.'
You can't imagine the joy in my heart as I went inside and called the young man. 'Listen, I just want you to know that God's been good to you today,' I said. 'I told you that if God gave me seventy-five-dollars, I would give it to you. Well, God just gave me seventy-five dollars, and I'm going to give it to you. i just want you to know that when your family sits down to dinner tonight to a warm meal for the first time in a long time, and you are able to drive your car to work in the next few days, God has been extremely goo to you.'
As soon as I had hung up, I headed out the back door to deliver the money. Before I had gotten far, it was as if God touched me on the shoulder and spoke audibly to me. He said, 'Now Lonnie, I just want you to know that not only did I give that boy the $75, but also I paid you back the $24.99 for your hedge clippers all in one shot.'
Wow! I could hardly wait to tell Belinda what I was learning about waiting on a new word from God. As I look back, I now see that all waiting carries a test with it; will we take matters in our own hands, or will we really wait on God? Waiting means we do not take into our hands what only God can do. God tests us to see if we are willing to make changes in our thinking that will result in our utter dependence on Him."
RIVERS NOT RESERVOIRS
7982 Hillcrest Trail
Jonesboro, Georgia 30236
404.784.4618
WEB, BLOG, RESOURCES
CLICK HERE
7982 Hillcrest Trail
Jonesboro, Georgia 30236
404.784.4618
WEB, BLOG, RESOURCES
CLICK HERE
RSS Feed