This adorable little vest has quite a story behind it. I was in the foyer of a hospital this morning, waiting for my husband to come out of a minor operation. While I waited I passed the time by entertaining my 9 month old son who was with me and also reading snippets of a book on talking to strangers about Jesus ("One Thing You Can't do in Heaven" by Mark Cahill - it's fantastic!).
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Anyway, as I was reading I looked up and saw two ladies standing at the admissions counter. The younger lady looked to be in her late thirties and the older one maybe in her fifties. I assumed that they were probably mother and daughter. I only looked at them for a moment but I felt like God said to me, "I want you to go and give those ladies $20". To be honest I had felt like God asked me to give other people money a couple of times in the past and I had not obeyed.
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Anyway, I was pretty sure I had a $20 note in my purse so I stood up and started to walk towards them. Then I got scared and started to walk out the front entrance door. I felt like God was really saying, "Go back and obey me". So I got my purse out and looked inside. I didn't have a $20 note in there, only two $10 notes. So I said to God, "I don't have a $20, it won't look nice to give them two $10 notes" - which is so ridiculous that it makes even me laugh.
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Well, I walked in and out that front door about six times. I'm sure people were staring at me. Finally I took the money out of my purse and held it in my hand. I walked over to where the daughter was standing at the admissions desk (the mother had gone to the coffee shop nearby). I stood behind her waiting for her to finish talking to the receptionist. She kept talking and again I lost my nerve. I am ashamed to say that I stuffed the money into my pocket, walked out the front door and kept walking. I said to God, "If I see them again today I will give them the money".
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Thankfully, the story doesn't end there. It was a lovely morning so I pushed my boy in the pram up the street. I wasn't familiar with the area so we walked for quite a while and found some shops. I wandering through a couple of shops and then headed back to the hospital.
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As soon as I walked through the front door of the hospital, who should I see sitting on the lounges in the waiting area - the two ladies. I walked over to them quickly before I lost my nerve and said, "This might sound crazy but I feel like God wants me to give you this money". I handed them the $20. They were very surprised and very kind and told me that they couldn't accept the money. I told them that I really needed to give it to them, God had asked me to and I needed to do it.
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The mother asked me what religion I was. "I'm a Christian," I replied. The ladies again insisted that I take the money back and I said that I had to find my husband who had had an operation and I hope they have a good day. The daughter followed me and said, "I saw a little outfit in the window over there and I said earlier that if I have a son I would love for him to wear something like that. I want you to take the money and buy the outfit for your little boy". I told her that it wasn't necessary as he had lots of clothes, but them the nurse came out and called the daughter in to prepare for her surgery. She pleaded with me again to take the money and placed it in my son's pram. I thanked her and assured her that I would buy the outfit for him.
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I went to the shop and bought the little vest and put it on my son. Can you guess how much it cost? Yes, it was $20. I am not making this up!! I thanked God and prayed that He would work in those ladies' lives.
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Anyway, a few hours later, I saw the mother again upstairs. It didn't register with me at first, but she had been crying. I walked up to her and said, "Here is the vest!" She was so happy and surprised. Before I could say anything else a doctor came up behind me to talk to her. I said goodbye and as I walked away I heard the doctor say, "It was as we suspected. Your daughter had a circuit problem in a valve in her heart. We caught it just in time." I didn't see either lady again after that but God, in His grace and mercy even allowed me to see why He had chosen those ladies to bless today. They obviously needed His blessing. I hope that if you've made it this far through the story that you will pray for the salvation of those ladies. And praise the awesome God that we serve!
