I was on a break from college, visiting friends and family in Cape Town, and had very little money. I started noticing that I was feeling stingy and afraid. Whenever we stopped at a traffic light, people would come up to the car to sell things or ask for money. I noticed I was feeling threatened.
I thought about this and realized that it was not of God, so I decided I needed to do something about it – I needed to move in the opposite spirit, as they say, and do something generous.
That night, as I was crossing the street to go to a nice little artisan pizza place above town, I stopped and gave a man who was sitting on the street a 100 Rand note. I told him that God loved him, then went inside, feeling overjoyed from giving.
At that time, 100 Rand was worth about 13 dollars. It was a lot to give someone on the street, and it was a lot for me, too. After pizza that night I only had about 20 Rand, or about 3 dollars, left.
The next day I met a few of my friends, Mike and Stefan, who had taught English with me in South Korea. They are super encouraging Christian brothers. We were heading down the coast to Fish Hoek beach to meet another friend, Ryan, who I had grown up with.
They said they wanted to go to a place called Kalky’s to get fish and chips for lunch. I told them I only had 20 Rand left, so if I could buy lunch with that, that would work, otherwise I would have to make another plan.
Then, as we were swimming at the beach, my friend Stephan said, “Hey Iain, look what I found!” He lifted his hand out of the water and in it was a wet, 100 Rand note. They exact amount I had given away the night before came floating to us in the ocean! Stefan said, “We can buy lunch with this!”
The fish and chips were delicious but the way God provided is something I will never forget. It reminded me how Jesus sent Peter to find money in a Fish’s mouth, told in Matthew 17. It was amazing to me to see God provide in that way, and made me feel like, no matter where I go, God will always be able to provide for me, even in ways that are beyond my ability to imagine!
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