In his book The Red Sea Rules, Pastor Robert J. Morgan recounts a story as a reminder of how we can trust God to respond to our needs in His own unique way.
One of the first homeless shelters in America was started in Chicago in the 1880s. Colonel George and Sarah Clarke leased a notorious saloon known for years as the Pacific Beer Garden and began sharing meals and Christ’s love with vagrant men off Chicago streets. The Christian couple renamed it the Pacific Garden Mission which is still in operation today and renowned for its Unshackled radio broadcasts.
In those early years, the Clarke’s personally paid the landlord for the use of the facility. But eventually, operating the Mission became more than they could cover. About to lose the Mission because they couldn’t pay the rent, George and Sarah prayed throughout the night that the Lord would provide a way for them to keep the mission.
The next morning, they awoke to a great surprise. The entire front lawn of their home was covered in a blanket of white. Looking closer, they discovered that they were not ordinary plants, they were rare mushrooms. Gathering the crop, the Clarkes carted the mushrooms to Chicago’s famous Palmer House Hotel. There the chefs paid them handsomely for the harvest, enough money to pay the rent.
Owning to God’s timely provision, Mrs. Clarke would later affirm the miracle by saying “No mushrooms were ever seen there before—nor any since.” It’s a reminder to trust in God’s response to our needs, in his unique way, and for His glory.
What mushroom miracle do you need God to accomplish in your ministry? He specializes in miracles and can provide just what you need at just the right time.
Response: Father, I want to be diligent and sacrifice for the work you’ve given me to do. Help me trust you to accomplish the things that I cannot.
Think About This: Some donors are like mushrooms; they show up once and you never see them again. Make the most of every donor encounter, love them, thank them, and treat them as the gift they really are.
Author: Denny Bender, Consultant – Before joining The Timothy Group, Denny served as Executive Director of Union Rescue Mission in Wichita, Kansas, a 114-bed emergency housing shelter for homeless men that also provides addiction recovery, a residential life-change and re-engagement program, as well as food assistance and infant care items for women and needy families.
