Teacher appreciation

4:29 p.m. Today's project was to get to church early to leave a sample craft at the Activities Table for the Heart to Home ministry between first and second services. I also wanted to be on the lookout for Joyce, a teacher friend who attends my summer Bible study. She wanted to see my old copy of Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary. Normally, arriving at church 1/2 hour early would be a near impossibility for just Steve and me, but adding in two teenage grandsons with last minute trips back into the house for a Bible, and a cranky garage door that kept going back up on its own, and our timely arrival was a true miracle!

We had had some controversy as to whether the younger grandson would sit in church with us, or attend jr. high class (my preference), but it turned out that jr. highers were to attend in the sanctuary because their teacher was at the Men's Retreat. Doesn't God have a way of resolving matters beautifully? My sleepless night of praying and determination to maintain discipline and respect in our home had been answered in a satisfactory way for all of us. Friends, believe Jesus' words in Matthew 7:7: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find." That promise is true for solving a problem, receiving a gift or for any other concern of our hearts!

Since we had arrived early, our family was able to sit much closer to the front than usual and had designated seats for Adrian, Xavier and for Heidi, who came a bit later. I felt a tap on my shoulder and heard Joyce's adorably familiar greeting, "Miss Dana!" She has southern roots, I'm pretty sure...I let her have the book, and she asked me whether I had the "complete" Matthew Henry commentary. I told her the one I was lending her was the concise version, with one page of notes for each chapter, but it did cover the entire Bible. She said, "One of the Friday specials at Christianbook.com has his entire, complete commentary, 3 volumes, on sale." "That's amazing!" I answered, but in our reduced income state, I knew it would never be mine. And you know, that 's okay, because I'd been using the shorter version since the 80's when I began teaching Bible studies.

This classic commentary, written between 1706 and 1721, is one of those Pastor/evangelist Greg Laurie recommended while training us home pastors, along with book commentaries by Barnes, Ironsides, and G. Campbell Morgan; Unger's Bible Dictionary, Nave's Topical Bible, and Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Greek Words, Manners and Customs of the Bible, and Romans Verse by Verse to complete the list. As a newly married woman needing to be thrifty, acquisition of this teaching library was my great dream, so I asked Steve for a new book or two on every gift-giving occasion. Many intense and eye-opening hours of study have come from the Lord through these gifted men of God!

Joyce suddenly declared, "I think I'll buy them for you!" "What?" I cried. "You don't have to do that!" "They're only $29.95 for all three volumes." Flipping to the inside cover of the old version I was loaning her, she saw 3121 Vallejo St., Riverside 92503. "Is this your address? I think I'll just have it sent to you." Still shocked, I managed to say, "No, it was where we lived when I bought it 26 or 27 years ago. " "I have your address somewhere, I think," she said, and laughingly scooted off to her seat as the service was about to start.

Sometimes God just blows his kids away with His goodness! And He uses other believers to bolster us up, showing His great love and kindness when we're feeling just a bit down. Steve, Heidi and the kids hadn't noticed what happened, and I didn't think to tell Steve about it until later this afternoon. I guess I was, like Mary the mother of Jesus, "pondering all these things in my heart" (Luke 2:19) for a while.

But I sure did worship with fresh enthusiasm and complete joy!!!