Diminished

During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina,  I remember someone starting an “undie” drive.   Simple reasoning, because these people who lost everything, deserve new underwear.  I wondered if I posted something on social media, for 10 friends to send socks or underwear to donate to the distribution center at church, would there be a response.  Apparently more people read my Facebook feed than I realized.

Responses were immediate.

~My home church began getting the word out to donate socks and undies.

~College friends purchased items and mailed them to my doorstep.

~High school buddies (whom I haven’t spoken to in person for over 20 years) sent numerous packages of toiletries, pet food, and school supplies.

~Dear neighbors from home gave cleaning supplies and donated money.

~Family members purchased items as well as collected items from their friends.

Sometimes I think I underestimate my people.  Not that I ever thought my friends wouldn’t step up to help, but they have their own lives, crazy schedules, and disaster relief going on in their own homes.

But in reality, I diminished my God.  How often do we do this?  How often do we set the bar way too low for God?

Natalie Grant’s new song “King of the World” resonates this as well:

How could I make you so small
When you’re the one who holds it all

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we may ask or think.”  Ephesians 5:20.

As if God hadn’t done enough already.  He was ready to show me the true meaning of the word “infinitely”.

My parents called one Sunday afternoon in the middle of all of the disaster relief.  I was an emotional wreck already; overcome with the fact that we had just moved and seemed to have been placed smack dab in the middle of a mission field, without a chance to catch our breath.  My father had taught Sunday School that day and had chosen to base his lesson on generosity.  He shared my posts about the distribution center, documenting the supplies sent in by friends. He used these posts to share with his class the amount of generosity he had been witnessing.

After class, one of the older gentlemen pulled him aside and offered him all of the money from his wallet.  Seriously, the man didn’t count it out, but just grabbed it and handed it over.  He said he felt the Lord leading him to give all he had to what was going on in Louisiana.  My parents waited until they got to the car to count the money.

$820

A man, whom I do not know, gave my father $820 to mail to me.

WHO DOES THAT?  God does.  God does infinitely more than we could ever ask or imagine.

Since then, many other churches have send money and donated supplies.  I do not know any of them.  God knows and used them to do infinitely more.

4 schools have held school supply drives to help area schools.  I had one contact with those schools (1 in VA and 3 in PA).  Through ONE CONTACT in VA and PA, 37 boxes were shipped here, full of needed supplies.  God does infinitely more.

Mutual friends drove 13 hours to deliver supplies from friends back home.

A former neighbor was shopping for supplies and someone approached her, randomly asking about her items.  The lady proceeded to give more money for more items to be purchased.

A church in North Carolina donated 250 pounds of school supplies and backpacks.

How could I make you so small
When you’re the one who holds it all
When did I forget you’ve always been the king of the world
You will always be the king of the world 

God is not to be diminished, for he will do infinitely more.

King of the World ~ Natalie Grant