The Envelope in a Drawer

We encourage you to submit your own stories to chris@spiritofjoy.us.

It can be anonymous. Looking forward to seeing how God is working in all of our lives.

The Envelope in a Drawer 

by Lynne Lerch

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. 

At just the right time we will reap a harvest 

of blessing if we don’t give up.

Galatians 6:9 (NLT) 

I’m sure everyone remembers the disastrous earthquake of January 12, 2010, in Haiti. The world rallied and sent people, supplies and money. 

John was out of work at the time, but we were able to make a small donation. I remember saying to him how I wished we were able to give a lot more. I don’t remember the exact timing, but it was about a week later that John came to me and said, “You are not going to believe this!” In his hands was an envelope with a check for hundreds of dollars that he had found unopened in a drawer under some restaurant advertisements. It was a bank escrow check dated early December. He said, “Here is your donation for Haiti.” 

I don’t know what amazed me more, the fact that I was holding this unexpected check or God’s timing. If we had seen and opened the envelope when it arrived in December, I have no doubt that it would have been used for Christmas. Finding it when we did, left us in no doubt what God’s purpose for that money was. God’s timing is always perfect!

Bible in a Year 2013 - May Readings

Join Susan Weil during Spirit Time on Sunday mornings as she reads the bible in a year. Here are May's readings in case you miss any classes. 

1 

2 Samuel 23:8-12; 

1 Chronicles 11:10-14; 

2 Samuel 21:19-22; 

1 Chronicles 20:5-8; 

2 Samuel 10:1-19; 

1 Chronicles 19:1-19; 

Psalm33:1-22; 

2 Samuel 11:1; 

1 Chronicles 20:1a 

2 

2 Samuel 11:2-12:24a; 

Psalm6:1-10; 

Psalm32:1-11; 

Psalm38:1-22 

3 

Psalm 51:1-19; 

Psalm 103: 1-22; 

2 Samuel 12:26-31; 

1 Chronicles 20: 1b-3; 

Psalm 21:1-13; 

2 Samuel 12:24b-25; 

2 Samuel 8:2; 

1 Chronicles 18:2; 

2 Samuel 23:20a; 

1 Chronicles 11:22a; 

2 Samuel 8:3-4; 

1 Chronicles 18:3-4; 

2 Samuel 8:7-8; 

I Chronicles 18:7-8;

2 Samuel 8:5-6; 

1 Chronicles 18:5-6 

4 

Psalm 124:1-8; 

Psalm 108:1-13; 

Psalm 60:1-12; 

2 Samuel 8:9-14; 

1 Chronicles 18:9-13 

Psalm 44:1-26; 

Psalm 20:1-9; 

2 Samuel 23:18-19; 

1 Chronicles 11:20-21 

5 

2 Samuel 23:20b-39; 

1 Chronicles 11:22b-47; 

2 Samuel 8:15-18; 

1 Chronicles 18:14-17; 

2 Samuel 7:1-29; 

1 Chronicles 17:1-27 

6 

Psalm 138:1-8; 

Psalm 139:1-24; 

Psalm 145:1-21; 

2 Samuel 21:1-14; 

2 Samuel 9:1-13; 

Psalm 8:1-9 

7 

2 Samuel 5:13-16; 

1 Chronicles 14:3-7; 

1 Chronicles 3:4b-9; 

2 Samuel 13:1-15:6 

8 

2 Samuel 24:1-15; 

1 Chronicles 21:1-30; 

2 Samuel 15:7-36 

9 

Psalm 3:1-4:8; 

Psalm 11:1-7; 

Psalm 23:1-6 

Psalm 26:1-12; 

2 Samuel 16:1-14; 

Psalm 12:1-8; 

Psalm 36:1-12 

10 

Psalm 37:1-40; 

Psalm 9:1-10:18; 

2 Samuel 15:37; 

2 Samuel 16:15; 

Psalm27:1-14 

11 

Psalm 18:1-9; 

Psalm 39:1-13; 

Psalm 41:1-43:5; 

2 Samuel 16:16-17:23 

12 

Psalm 55:1-23; 

Psalm 58:1-11; 

Psalm 61:1-63:11; 

2 Samuel 17:24-26; 

1 Chronicles 2:17; 

2 Samuel 17:27-18.8 

13 

2 Samuel 18:19-33; 

Psalm 64:1-10; 

Psalm 70:1-5; 

Psalm 84:1-12; 

Psalm 141:1-10; 

Psalm 143:1-12; 

2 Samuel 19:1-43 

14 

2 Samuel 20:1-26; 

Psalm 140:1-13; 

1 Chr:22:1-19; 

Psalm 29:1-30:12 

15 

1 Chronicles 23:1-23; 

1 Chronicles 6:16-30 

1 Chronicles 23:24-24:31 

16 

1 Chronicles 25:1-31; 

1 Chronicles 6:31-53; 

1 Chronicles 26:1-32 

17 

1 Chronicles 27:1-29:22; 

1 Kings 1:1-27 

18 

1 Kings 1:28-40; 

Psalm 25:1-22; 

1 Kings 1:41-2:9; 

2 Samuel 23:1-7; 

1 Kings 2:10-11; 

1 Chronicles 29:26-30; 

1 Kings 2:12; 

1 Chronicles 29:23-25 

19 

1 Kings 2:13-3:15; 

2 Chronicles 1:1-13; 

1 Kings 3:16-28; 

Psalm 72:1-20 

20 

Psalm 50:1-23; 

Song of Songs 1:1-4:16

21 

Song of Songs 5:1-8:14; 

Psalm 45:1-17; 

1 Kings 5:1-12; 

2 Chronicles 2:1; 

2 Chronicles 2:3-16 

22 

1 Kings 5:13-18; 

2 Chronicles 2:2; 

2 Chronicles 2:17-18 

1 Kings 9:15-16; 

1 Kings 9:20-23; 

2 Chronicles 8:7-10; 

1 Kings 6:1-38; 

2 Chronicles 3:1-17; 

Psalm 127:1-5; 

1 Kings 7:1-12 

23 

1 Kings 7:13-51; 

2 Chronicles 4:1-5:1; 

1 Kings 8:1-21; 

2 Chronicles 5:2-14 

24 

2 Chronicles 6:1-11; 

1 Kings 8:22-61; 

2 Chronicles 6:12-7:3 

25 

1 Kings 8:62-66; 

2 Chronicles 7:4-10; 

Psalm 132:1-18; 

1 Kings 9:1-9; 

2 Chronicles 7:11-22; 

1 Kings 9:10-14; 

2 Chronicles 8:1-3; 

1 Kings 9:24; 

2 Chronicles 8:11; 

1 Kings 9:25; 

2 Chronicles 8:12-16; 

1 Kings 9:17-19; 

2 Chronicles 8:4-6; 

1 Kings 9:26-28; 

2 Chronicles 8:17-18; 

1 Kings 10:22; 

2 Chronicles 9:21 

26 

1 Kings 10:1-13; 

2 Chronicles 9:1-12; 

1 Kings 4:1-19; 

1 Kings 4:29-34; 

Proverbs 1:1-33 

27 

Proverbs 2:1-4-27 

28 

Proverbs 5:1-7:27 

29 

Proverbs 8:1-10:32 

30 

Proverbs 11:1-13:25 

31 

Proverbs 14:1-15:33

My Beginning with God as an Active God

Recently, SOJ collected stories about our experiences with our very Active God. We want to be able to share these stories with more people so they can see how God works in everyday lives. 

The stories will appear weekly on the SOJ Connections blog. You can visit the blog each week, or go to the blog and sign up to have these delivered to your inbox automatically. 

We also encourage you to submit your own stories to chris@spiritofjoy.us. It can be anonymous. Looking forward to seeing how God is working in all of our lives. 

My Beginning with God 
as an Active God

by Ed Thomas

God opposes the proud, 

but gives grace to the humble.

James 4:6 (NRSV)

I grew up in the church. I can’t ever remember not knowing about Jesus. But knowing about Jesus is not the same as knowing Jesus. Therefore, like many, I had a moment of awakening when faith became more real and God was revealed as more active.

Like many, my moment came when I was humbled. I’d reached an absolute dead end, and I needed something bigger than me.

You see, everything had always come relatively easy for me … but suddenly, I was unemployed. Then I was underemployed. I couldn’t support my young family. I was frustrated, depressed, and desperate. In other words, I was utterly humbled.

At the time, I was an artist – an untrained, unwanted, and unemployed graphic artist. I remember looking outside and seeing a bunch of spindly little trees with a million spindly little branches and I remember thinking, “As good of an artist as I am, I can’t draw that.”

Then I remember thinking, “Wait, not only can God draw that, but he can create that out of absolute nothing.”

And I was totally and utterly humbled.

I’d always done faith my way. It was my philosophies … my politics … my priorities … my preferences. I cut and paste and explained away major parts of the Bible. In other words, I created God in my image. But suddenly, I was humbled. I’d reached an absolute dead end, and I needed something bigger than me.

That day, I sat down and read the entire Gospel of Mark … and it challenged what I’d always believed on every page. But I prayed, “God, you are God, and I’m not.”

And that day, my faith changed. God was real. I didn’t get a new job immediately; indeed, none of my outward circumstances changed at all. But suddenly there was a peace in my heart. There was a hope in my spirit and a purpose in my step.

In your life, where are you trying to control things? Let go … and I’ll bet that’ll be the beginning of God being an Active God for you too!