A good man leaveth an inheritance to
his children's children: and the wealth of
the sinner is laid up for the just.
Proverbs 13:22
He that by usury and unjust gain
increaseth his substance, he shall gather it
for him that will pity the poor.
Proverbs 28:8
Those two verses, and probably other ones that I can't think of right now, tell me that God uses the unjust to give good things to the just. Today I want to take a little time and share some things that I've learned and blessings I've received from people who do not claim to be Christians.
The first one that comes to mind is a former co-worker named Andrew. This man absolutely rejects the Bible and though we never spoke of it, there was always that between us. Despite this, he was always kind to me and God used him to bless me.
My grandmother taught me how to knit when I was very young. I knitted a tiny bit through high school but forgot about it for the most part. I never thought about knitting again until God brought Andrew along. He brought his knitting to work one day, showed me the pattern he was working on, gave me a great hat pattern, and I've been back to knitting ever since. God has used knitting (eventually crocheting and sewing) mightly in my life and I am so thankful God used Andrew to get me back into it.
The other thing Andrew did was give me his old pasta machine. I'd always wanted to make pasta but I would never had tried if it wasn't for him just randomly asking me if I wanted it. I could really use a new one but I'll use this one until it falls apart or we can get a new one.
Lastly, Andrew has given me recipes that I will use until I die. He shared Michael Smith's cookbook with me, where I got the apple pie recipe from, he shared Jamie Oliver's most amazing pizza dough recipe, and best of all, he gave me the best ever banana bread recipe. Those are just my top three recipes, he's shared many others.
Most christians would look at Andrew and say 'nope, not talking to him'. Though we each knew where the other stood, we were kind to each other and he was used of God to give me things I will enjoy for the rest of my life.
Next is Graeme. Dear Graeme. I'm actually not sure how to discribe my relationship with Graeme because according to him we were dating, according to me we were seeing each other but not dating. I don't know. However, Graeme taught me something very important.
We hung out for a few weeks and in that time I learned that he was an agnostic and very interested in things that a bible believer laughs at. He liked philosophy, psychology, he believed the world is over populated, you know things that we find ridiculous. I really wanted to be with him but one day he told me that he couldn't be with me because I did not believe like he believed. After the flurry of emotions that followed, reason eventually prevailed but I was brought very low and was very emotional about it for a long long time. What made me the most sad and pained me beyond measure was that he- who did not know for sure that anything he believes is true- had the strength to say we did not belong together. I was not strong enough in my faith- that I know is absolutely true- to leave the pointless relationship.
I've always known what I believe. Even back then (2009, I was 20) I had a firm foundation and I was not budging from it. However, I had been so lonely for so long that even this unbelieving person was better than being lonely. Even though I knew he was wrong for me, I did not want to let go, I did not have the strength. I had allowed myself to be controlled by my emotions and not by what was right. Realizing all this made me heartily ashamed of myself. Up until that point I was willing to hang out with anyone- Christian or no- who was interested (there weren't many). This business with Graeme put a stop to that immediately. I repented and resolved to ignore non-believers who were interested in me. (Six months later I met the christian man who is now my husband, seven months after that we were married.)
While this has mostly to do with dating, it's something I constantly remind myself of when I am out in the world. If a non-believer has the strength to make the right choice and do the right thing, how much more strength should I have to do right when I have direct access to the One who has immeasurable strength.
Now to my family members:
My father's sisters. Frankly both of them hate the Bible and God. There has been contention in the past (as always in families) but now that I am a wife and mother I see them in a different light.
To be honest, better servants I know not. They're always doing things for others, they're very helpful to their mother, and they watch out for their siblings' children like we are their own.
When I found out my sister was pregnant one of the things that occurred to me was that if I was half as kind and helpful to my sister's child as my father's sisters were to me, I would consider myself a successful auntie.
They're understanding, forgiving, and patient. While we don't agree on everything, they do look out for us, help us with things we need and welcome us into their homes. They have been just as nurturing as my own parents.
Maybe everyone's aunties are like this, I don't know, but I'm sure grateful for the examples my aunts are.
In the last little while I've spent a lot of time with my husband's elder sister. She has one child- a son- and I love their relationship. He's twenty now, but he is close to his mother, he confides in her, and he said himself that she is the most compassionate person he knows. He is not an outgoing, effusive person. He's a man of few words and he's one of those people you just don't touch. However, his love for his mother is clear as day and he cares for her greatly.
When we discussed this she told me that it was always very important to her that he knew she loved him no matter what he did. She did not turn a blind eye to disobedience but she would discipline in love and do her best not to overreact.
The things she has told me and the things I have seen have already effected the way I treat my son and has forced me to consider the things I have been doing up until now. I hope I can have a relationship with my son the way she does when he is twenty.
My father's mother is one who has been a tremendous testimony to me. I haven't always treated her the way I should have. I've done very poorly by her in the past. Whatever the past, however, she has always been very generous with us.
She has never brought up things that I've done and ways I have wronged her. She has always moved passed those things and never held them against me. For that alone, I am so blessed and thankful. A lot of women I know are bitter about the past and have trouble letting things go. I do it too but somehow my unsaved, aggressively atheistic grandmother seems to have no trouble letting the past be the past and moving on. I think that's incredible and as I've recognized it, I've been very convicted about it.
I don't know if I could write enough about this woman. I think she's amazing.
She's always loved the arts and continues to paint/draw, write, and collect beautiful things. All her grandchildren are artists in some way or form. I'm seriously the only one of her grandchildren that can't draw to save my life. However she did bless me with her enjoyment of needlework and I am the only one that pursues it. She gave me everything- knitting needles to last me forever, sewing supplies, crochet needles in every size, she passed on her embroidery things, patterns she's collected over the years and her big sewing box is now mine. I also have some of the needlework her mother did- it's beautiful and I'm almost too scared to touch it. She bought me a sewing machine when I was young and I use it to this day.
She passed on her love of reading to almost all of us. She was the one who introduced me to some of my favourite reading materials as a child and was always buying me books. She knows my taste very well and she and my husband enjoy lots of the same books.
When we were young she would often buy us disposable cameras and develop the pictures for us. We took pretty stupid pictures but she never cared.
She helped us a last year when my husband was out of work and we were just barely making it by. She has bought my son some of the nicest gifts any two year old can ask for. She has always been very generous- she likes to give and to share things that she likes so others can enjoy them.
She always has chocolate around for everyone. She knows what we all like she keeps newspaper clippings of articles we may find interesting. She thinks about others and gives them good things.
Her home is always full of interesting things. Yesterday my son spent a good while looking through her collection of shells. She taught him to listen to them and how they move when a creature is living inside them.
She may not love the Lord, but she loves us and God has taught me a lot through her. Probably the biggest thing is that she encouraged us and gave us the tools we needed to pursue our passions and hobbies.
Besides the things she's given me I am a lot like her in many ways. I hope to take the good things that we share and the things her life has taught me along with godly charity to be a good testimony and a blessing to my children and my children's children.
God uses everyone- just or unjust. He used the Egyptians to give jewels and gold to the Israelites in Moses' day, he used greedy and conniving Balaam to bless Isreal three times (Numbers 22, 23, 24), he used Caesar Augustus to call for a tax just as Jesus was about to be born.
While people reject God, He still uses their freedom to accomplish His will in their lives and ours. Don't be above learning things from unbelievers. The things you learn and the blessing you receive at their hand may be just the tool you'll need to eventually win them to Christ.
Her home is always full of interesting things. Yesterday my son spent a good while looking through her collection of shells. She taught him to listen to them and how they move when a creature is living inside them.
She may not love the Lord, but she loves us and God has taught me a lot through her. Probably the biggest thing is that she encouraged us and gave us the tools we needed to pursue our passions and hobbies.
Besides the things she's given me I am a lot like her in many ways. I hope to take the good things that we share and the things her life has taught me along with godly charity to be a good testimony and a blessing to my children and my children's children.
God uses everyone- just or unjust. He used the Egyptians to give jewels and gold to the Israelites in Moses' day, he used greedy and conniving Balaam to bless Isreal three times (Numbers 22, 23, 24), he used Caesar Augustus to call for a tax just as Jesus was about to be born.
While people reject God, He still uses their freedom to accomplish His will in their lives and ours. Don't be above learning things from unbelievers. The things you learn and the blessing you receive at their hand may be just the tool you'll need to eventually win them to Christ.
