In my living room sits a beautiful antique treadle sewing machine. I have had it
for about 23 years. I love it not only for the piece of furniture it is, but for
my God experience that surrounds it. Every time someone comments how lovely it
is, I get the opportunity to testify of God's hand in it all.
I had the recent memory of it again, when a client of my husband's stopped by to
see him. The man commented on the piece of furniture, and again... out of my
mouth the testimony flowed.
Several years ago, a good friend of mine had an identical piece of furniture.
Hers was my first opportunity to lay my eyes on something I thought was
absolutely exquisite. The cabinet was made of oak, and had beautiful carvings on
it. Each time I saw it, I would comment on how lovely it was, and that some day
I would have one just like it. I just knew in my heart that God would grant me
this desire.
A few months later my friend told me that she was going antiquing and would keep
her eye out for a treadle for me. She said , " I have a feeling I'm going to
find something for you." All day long I waited for her to get home and tell me
that she found it. Her call finally came, but there was a tone of disappointment
in her voice as she said, " I didn't find anything for you there today." She
went on to let me know that the few she found were quite pricy, and not what I
was looking for. She even went as far as to tell me that maybe I wouldn't find
one exactly like hers. Initially I was crushed by those words. But I went on to
follow that knowing in my heart as I replied, " I will have one just like
yours."
About a week later as I was thumbing through a local advertising paper when I
read that someone was selling a treadle sewing machine. There was no description
given, and the price was only twenty dollars (my friend had paid eighty for
hers). So, I decided I would go check this out.
When I arrived I was greeted by a young woman who told me that her grandmother
died, and she was finally getting around to cleaning out the attic. She decided
she would sell some of the remains, as they were not useful to her. As we walked
into the house, I couldn't believe my eyes! There in front of me stood my
treadle sewing machine. One exactly like my friends. All for the LOW PRICE of
twenty dollars. The rest of the day my heart was filled with glee. I couldn't
wait to share this with my friend.
Later that evening as I was changing the sheets on my bed , for some strange
reason, I decided to turn my mattress over. As I struggled to flip it over, a
twenty dollar bill flew out from underneath it. I thought, "how odd? Who put
that there? " Then it hit me....God was returning to me the twenty dollars I had
spent on my treadle machine. This was truly a gift from Him.
To this day I still love to tell the story. I love to think about the knowing
God put in my heart, as my friend was telling me, that I might not have one like
hers.
Occasionally God gives us that absolute knowing about something. There is no
greater feeling than God's reassurance to us. It is so perfectly described by
the Prophet Jeremiah when he says, " I knew this was the word of the Lord.."
(Jeremiah 32:8 Niv). Oh what a glorious feeling, when you can rejoice with the
Lord and say, "I knew it!"
Annettee Budzban has a writing ministry called, "Writings From The Heart"
sending devotions to friends and others. She is the author of the devotional
book, "Life Changing Inspirations." She has been published on e-zines and in
magazines, and writes a weekly devotional column for The Daily Herald. Her
e-mail is ahrtwrites2u@aol.com
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