Monday, July 20, 2009

Sausages, Franks, and the Favor of God

As my husband and I descend the stairs leading to the grocery, a chest freezer welcomes us, inviting us to peek and pick its choicest array of sausages and franks. We saw a variety of European sausages, but I particularly noticed those big, bulging, orange-brown tubes labeled “Hungarian sausages”. It’s been a while since we last had those imported sausages. For a second, my husband and I paused, looked and grinned at each other, then returned our gaze on the wieners. “No, it’s too expensive,” I said. So there, none of the sausages made it to our grocery cart.

Two days later, I decided to visit an old aunt whom I haven’t seen in perhaps a year. She was out of the house when I arrived, but my cousin and his wife were around to welcome me. My cousin, whom I haven’t seen in a while, excitedly told me the good news.

“God is so good! If it were not for Him, we would not have this new business.” I listened with curiosity, because just a year ago, this same cousin was in distress due to financial problems.

“We asked God for help, and one time, when she was praying,” he said, referring to his wife, “she opened the Bible and saw a verse in Deuteronomy 30 saying something about returning to the Lord and obeying Him so we can see our fortunes restored. We believed it and then God suddenly opened the doors for us.”

From fish processing, they diversified into high-end meat products. They are new in the field, but this early, their clients already include five-star hotels and a well-known supermarket. “We just started but how come we were able to get those clients? Only God could open these doors!”

I agreed and rejoiced with them, especially when I remembered how they struggled earlier and how God has rescued them now. “That’s the favor of God!” I exclaimed. God is gracious and merciful. And God’s favor includes opening doors that man can’t open and can’t close either.

Before I went out of their door that day, I also experienced an overflow of God’s favor.

“We’ll give you some of our products,” my cousin and his wife said. Then they took out a chunk of raw pink salmon and several smoked chicken breasts. In the next breath, he brought out sausages and franks and rattled off their names which to me sound foreign, except for cocktail franks. There’s kielbasa, chipolata, and chorizo Mexicano. All mine for free. I didn’t have to buy them from the grocery. Now that’s favor from God!

Whether you’re desperate and at the end of your rope (like my cousin was), or even when you’re not desperate (like we were) and just longing for something you haven’t tasted in a while, or wanting to attend the next LittWorld, God’s grace and favor is available through His Son Jesus Christ. God is gracious .

1 comment:

menchie said...

You're right ate...God 's favor is always there if we trust and depend on Him alone...