Praying for Toilet Paper

Many years ago, when I was still in college, with two babies in diapers, I was about as poor as one can be in America, short of being homeless. I had been paying tithe on my meager income for about two years by then. I really felt that I needed the money more than God possibly could, but I chose to give it anyway.

I remember one afternoon sitting on the floor in my small apartment, holding a single dollar bill in my hand, and crying. You see, it would be days before my next check would arrive, and I was completely out of shampoo and toilet paper. I would have to choose which one we needed most, and wait on the other. What was I to do?

I had barely finished praying, when God sent an angel in the form of a dear friend. She came to see me, and she had with her the largest package of toilet paper I had ever seen! (She had been shopping at a new place called “Costco” and had picked up an extra, since it was on sale!). I had never imagined that a blessing could come in the form of toilet paper.

Now, I wouldn't want to lead you to believe that God met my physical and financial needs because I returned tithe. If that were the case, I could say that I earned this blessing because of my faithfulness. It doesn't work that way. Rather, God longs to pour out blessings on each of us in every way possible. When we decide to stop holding back and to offer Him the time (Sabbath) and resources (tithes and offerings) that He asks of us, we receive an even bigger blessing than just having our needs met. We ultimately develop a deep and trusting relationship with God.

God did not need the few dollars that I returned to Him when I was poor. What He really wanted was my heart. When I made the decision to trust Him, even when it didn’t make sense, He was able to show me who he really is, and that was the true blessing!