A Testimony of Love

Last year I offered to take a friend to lunch to celebrate her birthday. Before I left the house, I checked my wallet to see how much cash I had on me. Thinking it might not be enough, I raided my “in case of an emergency money” to make sure I had enough. As I was putting on my coat, I put my hands in my pockets and found additional cash. Realizing I did not need my emergency money, I decided to put it back where it belonged when I returned home, as I was running short on time. When I got to the restaurant, my friend was running a little late, which was unlike her. When she arrived, she told me she was late because the gas company had called and told her she had to immediately pay money for a gas meter to be installed in front of her home. She was told to pay by gift card, so she was frantically trying to get it all resolved before our lunch date. As she was telling the story, I knew she had been scammed. I had gotten a call earlier in the week saying the gas company was going to turn off my gas within 30 minutes if I didn’t call a particular number. After she finished telling me her story, I told her it was a scam. Initially, she didn’t believe me, but as we talked through it, she knew she had been scammed. My friend started to cry, and I told her everything would be all right. I explained that these scammers speak with such authority and it is easy to be duped by them. We then discussed a few of the red flags, and she realized how she could have prevented the situation and became angry with herself. Through her tears she told me how much money she had to pay, “money she didn’t have”, and my heart broke. Our Heavenly Father is so good, and He loves this sweet daughter of His so much, that the amount she paid the scammer is the exact amount of my emergency money. As she and I talked I told her I could not have known what had transpired with her before our lunch and I knew this was a divine intervention. I gave her the money, at first, she did not want to accept it, but I told her it wasn’t from me, but from God. He just used me to be a messenger of His great love. I was blessed beyond measure to be used in this way and to witness God’s unconditional love for this sweet sister in Christ.

Garland M. - VA

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15 (NIV)