I am a Christian woman and one of the things that I struggle with is knowing when something is a blessing or if I am being tested. I seem to get in a lot of situations where I can never answer this question.
Case in point…I was coming out of the Post Office and as usual there was a man standing in the doorway asking for money for something to eat. As I answered him and continued walking, I happened to look down and couldn’t believe my eyes. There were several pieces of paper, which I soon realized was money, that were starting to separate and were about to start blowing down the sidewalk. I immediately stooped down and scooped up the money and the receipt that had been in the center of the bills.
So my question is…was this a blessing for me or was this God testing me?
When I counted the money, it was $100…the exact amount that I needed to pay a bill that I was about to postpone paying. Was this a blessing from God so that I could pay my bill?
Or was I being tested? Was I supposed to figure out a way to find out who the money belonged to? I could easily walk back into the Post Office and see if someone who had just come in had dropped the money. And if that didn’t work, I did have the receipt from where they had taken the money out of the ATM. Should I contact the bank and see what they could do?
What do you think? Was I being blessed or was I being tested?
Luv Ya!!
A Cute Funky Handbag
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Case in point…I was coming out of the Post Office and as usual there was a man standing in the doorway asking for money for something to eat. As I answered him and continued walking, I happened to look down and couldn’t believe my eyes. There were several pieces of paper, which I soon realized was money, that were starting to separate and were about to start blowing down the sidewalk. I immediately stooped down and scooped up the money and the receipt that had been in the center of the bills.
So my question is…was this a blessing for me or was this God testing me?
When I counted the money, it was $100…the exact amount that I needed to pay a bill that I was about to postpone paying. Was this a blessing from God so that I could pay my bill?
Or was I being tested? Was I supposed to figure out a way to find out who the money belonged to? I could easily walk back into the Post Office and see if someone who had just come in had dropped the money. And if that didn’t work, I did have the receipt from where they had taken the money out of the ATM. Should I contact the bank and see what they could do?
What do you think? Was I being blessed or was I being tested?
Luv Ya!!
A Cute Funky Handbag
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Posts
Blessed! :) Pay it forward.
ReplyDeleteNeither and Both.
ReplyDeleteGod continues to bless all of us. You were given an opportunity. An opportunity to meet your immediate need.
You were also given an opportunity to bless someone else out of your own need. This in turn, according to the promise of God, can open the door for you to receive blessings in abundance.
You were given two opportunities. Both for your benefit
hmmm... interesting question...I would take it as a blessing and share some with the homeless man. Blessing X 2 :)
ReplyDeleteI definitely wouldn't have gone back into the post office with it.
ReplyDeleteContacting the bank - maybe. I think depending on who I spoke to MIGHT think I was a whackjob.
I think I would have sooner split the money - half for me and half for a soup kitchen I currently support. I am just weary of folks on the street asking for money.
It was a blessing soror, you are thinking too hard.
ReplyDeleteI would take it as a blessing...but share... (that covers the testing part!)
ReplyDeleteGive $10 to the homeless man for food. Donate $25 to local church or charity, and put the balance on that bill that needs to be paid.
Patt
The problem is that it may have been a blessing for you but what about the person who lost the money. In the current econmic climate a $100 is a lot of money to lose. I like the earlier post in which the person suggested that it was also an opportunity for you as well. Finding the owner is probably an insurmountable challenge but the opportunity to use the money to be a blessing to others is unlimited.
ReplyDeleteI think it was a test. Reason being:
ReplyDelete1. The money that was on the ground belonged to someone who was probably freaking out once they realized they lost $100. More than likely they would try to recover it by retracing their steps or contacting the bank. (I know I would!lol)
2. If God wants to bless us, he can put it in a person's heart to do so. The money didn't belong to anyone else but the person who lost it. It isn't anyone else's money to spend.
I think it would be better to turn it over to someone at the post office or contact the bank. While God is being asked whether the $100 is a blessing or a test, the owner of the money could be asking God to help them find it...
That was a blessing! It was interesting that the homeless man in the door didn't see the money at the same time you did and knock you down trying to get to it. Thank God for giving you that money and pay your bill.
ReplyDeleteI think you were being tested in several ways. If you are conflicted about your decision, I think you believe you were tested too. There was the option to help the hungry guy, try to find the rightful owner or help yourself.
ReplyDeleteAs a Christian myself, I don't believe God's blessings come on the heels of someone else's despair. What if that was the last money the poor person had or if that money was to pay for medicine for the h1n1 mist ? You must consider the other person as well. Finally if you are ever unsure as a Christian whether you are being blessed or tested, you need only ask, "WWJD".
Somehow I can't see him pocketing the cash.
Had a situation a few years back where $100 was found on the floor at my young daughters feet, by my daughther. She was very excited and wanted to know if she could keep it. We made every effort to find the person who dropped it. Even left our name and phone number with the store and we waited for someone to claim it.
ReplyDeleteWe were not able to find the rightful owner and my daughter was happy to have it but without this effort what would she really be getting?
If you make every effort to find the rightful owner and you can't, then it is rightfully yours, all yours, guilt free. Giving some to a person in need won't make it any more yours.
If you do find the rightful owner and return it you will be doing the right thing and that good carma will feel good today and it will find you too someday.
Thanks for all of the great responses!! I actually went back into the Post Office and ended up finding the person who had lost the money. It's pretty funny because I never thought about keeping the money. All I could think was that if I'd lost it, I would hope that someone would return it to me (knowing that chances are they probably wouldn't). But I am glad to know that I am not the only one who faced a dilema. Thanks for the wonderful insight!!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. I was posed a very similar scenario 15 years ago when my sister found $100 while we were on an outing. She asked should I tryto return it or keep it? She deepened the curve when she said we'd split it. (She owed me $150 to bail her out months earlier. I did not deem this a "gift" since this $150 was punitive that she had to pay.) I said, we can split it, or you can "pay" me $100 as an installment on what you owe. She chose to "split it" (still owing me $150 to this day).
ReplyDeleteUp to you to decide if this was a Blessing for me. (I was Testing my sister with the options...should she have looked at this as a Blessing that she was making good on a loan?)
Just as an aside, there have been many trails along the way with my sister in the past 15 yrs. She has not grown up- much...and now with children of my own, I've decided to to limit the drama.
Net-Net on your situation. Blessing x2...give the man enough for a sandwich and put an installment on your bill...
Cute Funky Handbag,
ReplyDeleteI have had that same experience,but I did not seek the owner. This stays on my mind constantly and I wish that I had sought the owner, because this was in a setting that I could have found the owner; but because I was in great need at the time I called it a blessing.
I guess I consider some tests a blessing - I love the Lord for giving me the chance, love Him for teaching me. Sometimes I fail, but it just keeps me coming back to Him.
ReplyDelete