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Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, James 1:17a KJV
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: Psalms 91:15 KJV
Coat of His Love
“The man’s cold, Mommy !”, two of my young sons chanted, that long-ago morning.
They told me yet again that they had seen the elderly man “without a coat” sitting in front of his ramshackle farmhouse.
“We have to get him a coat, Mom! It’s really getting cold at night,” declared my 6-year-old.
The children scampered off and I was left to my thoughts – and prayers.
It was 8:45 a.m. on a cold, winter morning. With my children’s words ringing in my mind, I dropped to my knees.
“Lord,” I prayed, “You know all about that old man and his obvious needs, and you also know it is 5 days until my husband gets paid, and that we have no money. I’m out of ideas. If you bring a coat for that man, I’ll take it to him. I think he’s about a medium.”
Fifteen minutes passed.
There was a knock on our trailer door. Scooping the baby into my arms, and with a toddler clinging to my leg, I opened the door to my neighbor, Norma.
In her strong Southern drawl, she started right in. “You all won’t believe what my husband, Al, just found on the side of the road, still with price tags on ’em, but no store names, so we can’t take them back, don’t you know?
Al, I sez, let’s take them over Carol’s. You’re the religious nut amongst us – no offense – so I thought you or one of your church friends would know what to do with ’em, don’t you know? You’ll never guess
what is right on top”.
At this, she seemingly took her first breath and shoved a large, fully stuffed, black plastic yard bag into my hands.
I shifted the baby and made a grab.
“You’ll never guess,” she repeated.
“A man’s coat, size medium,” I said, before opening the bag.
She looked at me, a bit oddly.
“And yes, I know exactly where this is to go, and …that God sent you here with it,” I continued.
She backed away slowly.
I closed the door.
It was 9:02 a.m.
I peered into the bag. Below the coat, lay many shirts and pants and sweaters – all men’s, all medium-sized.
I loaded the six kids into our old station wagon and we drove to the old man’s house. We learned he lived alone, was eighty, and blind.
He couldn’t see the broken porch or the rat that scurried by.
My church friends did indeed follow up on his other needs, and we kept in touch with our elderly friend for years to come.
He would call out to me each time we visited, “Here’s the lady with all them children, what brought me my fine coat from God.”
Christmas Eve
Each Christmas Eve, we would be sure to stop there caroling.
He would join us, wearing his coat, and letting his soft voice join ours, worshipping.
Together we praised the God Who hears our prayers
—- and clothes us all
—- in His Love.