“‘你们祈求,就给你们;寻找,就寻见;叩门,就给你们开门。’” – 路 11:9
某天夜间,我收到来自芝加哥一所非洲裔美国人大型教会的牧师发来的短信:“对不起,这么晚打扰你,但是我有一个感动。你的教会里是否有任何家庭会用得着一笔通过匿名捐助的钱财呢?他们可以按自己的意愿来支配这笔款项,我们只是无条件地为他们提供这笔经济援助,是为了让他们得到一份出人意外的祝福。”
Tracey将近一生都住在Roseland这个社区,她同时打几份工来供养她的三个儿女。她也在RCM的食品分发站当义工,当有些人不方便离开他们的住所,她便把食物杂货送到这些人家里。
Tracey正在攒钱来购买一所房子,她似乎仍要等好几年才能存到足够的金钱来实现目标。那位牧师和他的教会以匿名方式捐赠了15,000元给Tracey。当她听说自己获赠这份礼物的好消息时,她静静地暗自祷告说:“主啊,感谢你。”
我很高兴这位牧师在晚间以短信告诉我这份礼物的好消息,我更高兴Tracey愿意接受它。她一直都在为买房子这件看似不可能办成的事祈求神开路。
两个月后,Tracy购买并装修好一所曾经被木板封起来的旧房子。现在她和家人终于有了属于自己的住所了。她叩门 - 神便给她开了门。
祷告
主啊,求你教导我们去叩你的门、学习祈求、并学习接受。又引导我们诚心寻求你。阿们。
路加福音 11:5-13
5耶稣又说:“你们中间谁有一个朋友半夜到他那里去,说:‘朋友,请借给我三个饼,
6因为我有一个朋友行路,来到我这里,我没有什么给他摆上。’
7那人在里面回答说:‘不要搅扰我,门已经关闭,孩子们也同我在床上了,我不能起来给你。’
8我告诉你们:虽不因他是朋友起来给他,但因他情词迫切地直求,就必起来照他所需用的给他。
9我又告诉你们:你们祈求,就给你们;寻找,就寻见;叩门,就给你们开门。
10因为凡祈求的,就得着;寻找的,就寻见;叩门的,就给他开门。
11你们中间做父亲的,谁有儿子求饼,反给他石头呢?求鱼,反拿蛇当鱼给他呢?
12求鸡蛋,反给他蝎子呢?
13你们虽然不好,尚且知道拿好东西给儿女,何况天父,岂不更将圣灵给求他的人吗?”
A Text At Midnight
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” – Luke 11:9
I received a text message late one night from the pastor of a large African American congregation in Chicago: “Sorry to bother you so late, but something hit my spirit. Do you have a family in your congregation that could use an anonymous financial blessing? They can use it however they want, but we want to bless them unexpectedly, with financial resources that have no strings.”
Tracey has lived in the Roseland community nearly all of her life. She is raising three children while working an assortment of jobs. She also volunteers at the Roseland Christian Ministries food pantry, dropping off groceries to families who are physically unable to leave their homes.
Tracey was also saving money to purchase a house, and it would take a few more years before she would have enough to be able to purchase a home. The pastor and congregation anonymously gifted Tracey $15,000. When she heard about the gift, she silently mouthed, “Thank you, Lord.”
I’m so glad this pastor texted me at the midnight hour with the news of this gift. And I’m glad Tracey was willing to receive it. She had been asking God to make a way where it seemed no way was possible.
Two months later Tracey was able to purchase and rehabilitate a boarded-up home. Her family has a home now. She knocked—and a door opened.
Prayer
Teach us, Lord, to knock on your door, ask, and learn how to receive. Teach us to seek after you. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳