A Miraculous Gift

The Bible says that God loves to give us the desires of our heart if we ask Him. In Trinidad, the requirement for renting a house was one month’s rent in advance and $100 as “reward” money. This reward was essentially to thank the owner for renting the house. As I studied my Bible, I could not find any verse where God required such things, so I purposed in my mind not to pay a reward. I determined to trust the Lord to make a way for me to obtain some land. I told Him that even if it was a little house made of rough boards, I would appreciate it.

I kept on praying and never gave up trusting that God would answer my prayer. I held on to God’s Word. “Therefore be patient, brothers and sisters. . . . [As] the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it” (James 5:7, NASB).

As I went about my daily tasks, I prayed to the Lord about my need.

I prayed through promises, which included, “If we hope for what we do not see, through perseverance we wait eagerly for it” (Romans 8:25, NASB).

I continued this endeavor for five years. Then something strange happened. One Sunday morning my husband went to purchase the newspaper and returned with a friend whom he had not seen in years. I cooked a delicious meal and invited our guest to join us, along with my brother-in-law. After lunch, my husband’s friend began sharing plans the government had for ex-service members. From the discourse, I learned that land was being given to ex-service members in the Maracas, Saint Joseph Valley, Trinidad, to cultivate and build homes for their families. This sounded great to me! My husband and brother-in-law immediately completed the application, and after they had done so, the visitor left, and we never saw him again.

I have often wondered about that incident. I believe it was providential. Well, those applications were sent off in the mail the next day, and ultimately, my husband’s application was accepted, but my brother-in-law’s application was denied.

That year twelve ex-service members whose applications had been approved received their portion of land. My friends, let us persevere in prayer!

Sheila Johnson (deceased)