He had been walking the street all morning watching the team serve at the local homeless ministry on Franklin Street. A few of the team members asked if they could pray for him as the rest of the team continued passing out clothes. After the group finished praying, the man continued standing with them, noticing that the pile of shirts was almost gone.
The man said, “I have a handful of shirts I could donate to y’all.”
“That would be great!” replied Cindy, one of our adult team members, thanking the man for his thoughtful gesture. As she began to walk away to finish passing out shirts he commented,
“I don’t know if you would want them but I have boxes of brand new tuxedos and prom dresses. I can’t sell them in Johnstown because I got them from the local store here and I don’t want to compete with their service. Is there any way you guys would need something like that?”
Cindy stared, almost in disbelief and said, “I run a ministry for children with special needs in my hometown. Every year we have a Prom for them and have been in need of donations for their dresses and tuxedos!”
An hour later Cindy’s family began the drive from Michigan to Pennsylvania to pick up 75 boxes of free tuxedos and prom dresses for their ministry.
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11
I love how God chose to show favor to Cindy.
Cindy came to Pennsylvania with the expectation of pouring out and serving others and was met with an unexpected blessing and pouring out from her Heavenly Father.
God used the very people Cindy came to serve to show her His blessing and favor. This was beyond what she would have ever expected from her short-term domestic trip. This was probably beyond what she would have ever expected period.
I love hearing stories like this. They serve as a reminder of how deeply God knows our needs and how creative He is at meeting them.
On a cloudy Tuesday morning, in Western Pennsylvania, a stranger gave a missionary from Michigan 75 boxes of free tuxedos. God is so good.
