New Year – New Reminder

The dawn of a new year is always a good time to take some time to reflect on the last year and look forward to the year ahead.  For us at the Two Pennies Ministry, it is a chance to take a breath and recover from the busy Christmas season and our annual fundraiser at First Baptist Church.  For the last three years, we have hosted fundraisers involving commemorative pieces which people take home as reminders of the sacrifices they made in order to give to someone in need.  This year we had a set of coasters and ornaments coinciding with the advent season. For the past two and a half months we have been surrounded with coasters, twine, paint, varnish, glue and craft paper.  While we love using our hands to raise money for a worthy cause, it can sometimes lead to a lack of focus. This year was no exception, and as the final day of our fundraiser approached, I was looking forward to being done. On the morning of our final day, I was reminded once again why we were had gone through all of our efforts

Our Coaster and Ornament sets.

Amidst the flurry at our table, I was approached by a friend who wanted to hand me a check for our ministry. I have known this person for many years and she and her husband have always been generous supporters of our work.  As she handed me the check she told me that God had told her to do this. I responded with, “thank you so much for following his leading,” or something akin to that.

She looked me in the eyes and said, “No.  I mean, he really did. I had a dream that I was writing the check to hand in today and God’s voice told me to add another zero.”

I stood there not knowing what to say.  They aren’t a wealthy couple but they are involved in serving and their commitment to our congregation over the years has been unwavering.

As her eyes filled with tears, she said, “I’ve never had anything like this happen before and I knew that I had to obey.”

Our goal at the Two Pennies Ministry is to transform people to serve God through Love, Service and Sacrifice.  In the bustle of coasters and ornaments I had begun to lose that focus – but God had not. He continually seeks to draw us nearer to him through our obedience, even when it challenges us to give more than makes sense.  Through the actions of one servant, I was reminded of the purpose of our mission. It is such a blessing to be a part of a family of believers like this.