Pastor Randy Shannon
Her name is Tasha.  A couple of weeks ago she called asking for help. I was gone and all I had was a phone message on our church answering machine that she was given my name by a friend who works at a local shelter.  When I returned the call a couple of days later she answered it from her hospital bed. The stress from the crisis she found herself in had proven too much.  "Would you still be willing to talk to me when I get out?" she asked. "Of course," I said.  Each day as my messages played back I heard her voice and wondered what need she had that had proven to be too much to bear.  My friend at the shelter didn't know much; she couldn't even tell me her name. She just knew she needed help with her finances.  Several days later Tasha called. I discovered that the problem she faced..the problem that was too big to overcome was a shut-off notice on her utilities over $120 of past-due bills.  Our Samaritan Fund got her utilities back on for her and her 5 year old daughter.  Her gratitude was genuine.
A couple of weeks passed...we had our Harvest Jubilee last Saturday with lots of food... sandwiches, chips, apples, cookies...but not lots of people. The cold, dreary day had probably keep many from coming out. A whole bag of sandwiches was tossed in the refrigerator and I was given the instructions to give them away.  Sunday morning I forgot to announce that the sandwiches were in the refrigerator.  They probably would be thrown out if they stayed there much longer. Then an idea struck me.  If Tasha didn't have enough money to keep her lights on, she probably didn't have much food, either.  I called and asked her if she could use some sandwiches, apples, chips and cookies...telling her about our event.  She sounded thrilled and agreed to come by the church to pick some up.  As she loaded apples, and sandwiches and chips into a sack I gave her she sheepishly asked, "Did someone tell you that I was out of food?"  "No," I said, "I just thought of your name and thought that if you had lost your electricity you probably could use help with food, too."  She then told me that she was indeed out of food and couldn't believe that my call came when it did.  We both decided that it was a God thing. 
Listen to what He might be saying to you today.  You never know when you might be the answer to someone's prayers.
In His Love
Pastor Randy
My Favorite Links:
The Upper Room
John Fischer Devo's
Cumberland Denominational Webpage
PHOTO ALBUM
My Info:
Name: Randy Shannon
Email:
[email protected]
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