Double Blessing

A mist of rain coated the windshield as we drove into the gathering darkness. I thought back over the the events of the past couple weeks. God had blessed in countless ways, and I had no doubt that He had called me into this work. However, the past two days had been my first experience canvassing alone, and yesterday I had driven many long miles without a sale. It is so easy to fall into the temptation to doubt and discouragement, just like the children of Israel, even when the providence of God is all around!

I wondered again about the strange way in which we had found the home to which we were returning this evening. On Monday, we had followed a lead to “Dark Forest Road,” only to end up at a dead end! “Oh, I’ve been here before,” John had groaned, “This address is nowhere to be found.” So, we marked the card, stuck it on the bottom of the pile, and promptly forgot about it. Later on Monday, as we drove through a rural neighborhood following an old lead on the other end of town, we had made a startling discovery. As we drove down the small neighborhood streets, I noticed that the GPS and the street signs didn’t agree. What was that? It was unmistakable—the little green sign read “Dark Forest Road”. We dug out the discarded lead card and found the home! Our elation was short-lived however, as nobody was home. We couldn’t forget that house, though—especially not after finding it in such a seemingly miraculous way!

Now, as we neared that house for the second time, I wondered what God had in store. Would He give me an experience to drive away the despair that was trying to crowd it’s way into my heart? I looked over at John, “I really believe this is going to be a divine appointment.”

My courage heightened as the door opened, and a young teen invited us in. His Dad joined us in the dining room. His smile broadened as he saw the lead card in our hands. “I want those books!” he exclaimed.

“Wonderful!” we responded, “That’s why we’re here!” The more books we showed him, the more excited he became.

“Do you have any other books?” he asked, as we finished showing the main set. We pulled out our remaining display books and canvassed him on those.

“How much is it for all of them?”

We quoted him the price.

“Can I get a discount if I get two complete sets?”

“I’m sure we can do that!” John exclaimed, jumping to his feet. “I’ll make a quick call and let you know!”

We chatted while waiting for John to return. “I want a complete set for my patients to read at the office, and I would like a set, as well” the gentleman explained. “The small children’s books will make a great gift for one of my relatives.” He put the order balance on his credit card and even offered to place our advertising books in his office!

As we drove away, we could hardly contain our excitement! “Praise the Lord!” we both exclaimed in unison. As soon as we were out of sight of the house, I had to pull over and call Kristina to tell her the exciting news!

As we finished our visits for the evening, I didn’t even notice the rain or the chilly breeze. We sensed the presence of angels with us, and could almost hear them singing, echoing the thoughts of thanksgiving in our hearts. Jesus never fails!