Our friends Carol and Frank are retired with a fixed income. They live in a small house on three acres in a rural area. They love the Lord and wanted to serve Him in some special way. Carol repeatedly felt the Lord directing them to step out of their comfort zone and do something bigger.
Their idea was to take much of their investment savings plus all of their emergency savings, and build a small two-bedroom apartment next to their home and share it with people in need. They would call it “His Place of Blessing.”
Carol decorated it with an American Patriotism theme. Several friends donated furnishings, even a patriotic quilt! She added a small bookcase containing a Bible and several good books.
Soon there was a call from the church secretary: “An older woman who lives out-of-state has a son with a terminal illness. She is a Christian and has called several churches asking if anyone could host her for a few weeks, as she cannot afford a hotel.”
Nancy was their first occupant. Daily she would visit her son who passed away after five weeks. Carol would check on Nancy every other day to see how her son was doing. There were opportunities to pray with Nancy and to encourage her. She and Frank went to the hospital to meet and pray with her 49-year-old son who left behind a wife and three children. Nancy returned to her home after his burial.
Carol had just finished cleaning the apartment when three young men—college students from the Czech Republic arrived. They came for a 6-week exchange program to learn English by immersion. Carol and Frank simply loved these young men. They introduced them to their church and to the Christian fellowship for college students.
Carol found some Christian websites in the Czech language that the young men could enjoy: http://www.whoisjesus-really.com/czech/whois.htm http://www.everystudent.com / http://jesusfilmmedia.org/video/1_4432-cl-0-0/czech/the-story-of-jesus-for-children A favorite comic in Czech: http://www.chick.com/catalog/TractList.asp?language=Czech
Funny thing is, “His Place of Blessing” is not just blessing people in need. It’s blessing Carol and Frank as well!
- Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Psalm 20:4
[Reader: Is this something you might consider doing? Can you foresee any drawbacks? To leave a comment, simply click on the story’s TITLE, then scroll to bottom of page.] _____________
Miss Kathleen, you have no idea how much this post has just ministered to me. “His place of blessing” was a feeling, a pondering that I had meditated on long and hard for many years. I have met with skepticism, cynicism and great opposition in this regard but my heart remains unchanged that this is a “right” thing to do. I don’t know how or when…the Lord has provided the land I await patiently the means. This is evidence that this dream will become a reality in His time, by His will and inimitable “Way”. It didn’t have a name till now “His place of blessing” how it speaks to me…I had struggled with poverty and homelessness and hunger, and these things now seem as nothing compared to the spiritual bankruptcy I had cultivated over time and ultimately been rescued from. Glory be to God!
The land in question was provided mysteriously and solely by Grace of God but it is co-owned…halfway there just waiting for an answer to a prayer. And this has come as a great encouragement by no small coincidence!
Anthony
Thank you. This is what I hoped and prayed would happen as people read this story. May God bless your plans for future ministry.
When we allow God to bless others through us …….so often it is we who are blessed as well!
Absolutely! It brings such joy!
What a wonderful story! Your friends truly extended the love of God through their home of blessing.
Yes, it IS a wonderful story! I just talked with them and the three Czech boys are still there and learning about Jesus in addition to English!
What a beautiful couple with a beautiful vision sharing the beauty of our Lord. Just reading your post Kathleen, one can see the True Vine wrapped securely around ‘His Place of Blessing’.
Thank you, Liana. Indeed. I believe the True Vine IS wrapped around His Place of Blessing.
How good it is when two walk together and in the same direction.
That was God’s design for marriage, Helene, that both walk together in the same direction. Unfortunately, unless both walk with the Lord, one must find other ways to serve the Lord…but there are many.
I love this. Since our home has been getting “bigger” with the leaving of our kids as they grow up, we have been praying for the Lord to use the space as he desires. Due to the combination of our snow storm coming through in the midwest as well as car trouble, He brought a single lady from our church to stay with a couple/few nights. And on top of this, my husband has been reading a book by Ruth Haley Barton (Life Together in Christ) about the power of opening our homes and our lives in this way. Powerful for our own transformation as well as in the lives of those we seek to bless:)
I’m so glad you found this story encouraging. May the Lord guide and bless you in your desire to open your home.
Just wanted to tell you how much this story meant to me. I am a new widow trying to find my purpose in life after 48 years of marriage. I brought a homeless lady home last month. She stayed one night and then wanted to be on her way. I went many places the next day trying to find her work. But alas, she informed me she did not want a job! Some thought I was an idiot to bring her home. I could not leave her standing alone at night in front of the supermarket. I just couldn’t. I will never know how her story ends, but I did talk to her about Jesus and His love for her and His forgiveness. I sang Jesus Loves “YOU” with my few chords on the piano and she bowed her head and she told me she was confused and unpredictable… probably the only honest words of her story to me. But she had a warm shower and a bed for the night. Although I’m glad I did it, I wouldn’t want my kids to do the same. Please pray for her (Lucy).
It is my honor to pray: “Lord God, I lift up Lucy and ask that You bring to her mind the words of Love she heard from Darlene. Draw her to Yourself and lead her to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Help both Lucy and Darlene know Your purpose for their lives. I pray in the strong name of Jesus, Amen.”
What a great idea….there is no such thing as retirement when there is always a plan for our life!
That is so true! We never retire from being a Christian and living for the Lord. How boring that would be!
Great share, Kathleen. It is such a blessing to us to be a blessing to others, as I am sure Carol and Frank learned. God has wired us in such a way that we receive whenever we give.
Yes it is so true. We DO receive whenever we give. Thank you, Frank!