Times for good for my family, the kids were healthy, and we were blessed financially. One day, the mother of one of my son’s good friend’s took me aside and asked to borrow some money for just 2 weeks. She was working as a realtor and needed a loan until the house she had just sold would close. She needed to pay their electric, car payment, rent, things like that … and a legal bill. That last item should have made my ears burn, but I missed the cue. I lent her the money. I wrote the checks direct to the places she needed to have payments made to, with the full expectation that I’d be paid back in two weeks.
Soon it was a month, then several months, then half a year. Within that time span, we ran into some business problems and paying our own mortgage was getting to be a real concern. I really needed the money I had lent back. That is when I learned that she had conned many folks in our community, and I shouldn’t expect anything paid back. I was sick that I had been so gullible. I told my husband how I wish I had given the funds to a charity or invested it more wisely. For me, it was a hard lesson. I felt foolish.
Things got much tighter for my family financially. As a new school year was beginning she and I became ‘Captain’s Moms’ on our sons sport team, so we would have to work side by side all year. At the first meeting I took her an invoice of what I had lent, and quietly handed it to her with a reminder that it was a loan – not a gift. That afternoon she brought me a check! We were stunned – but thankful.
Her being able to pay us back that afternoon – is what we used to pay our bills that week! It was a huge blessing!
What I couldn’t see all along, was that God was actually saving the funds for us, so that when we were truly in need, HE could provide!
Anonymous – Dallas TX – 2003
