Article November 25, 1996 Issue

God as caregiver

Rosalie E. Dunbar

It happened in New York City, between Thanksgiving and Christmas. An unexpected expense had wiped out nearly everything I had except the money to pay my rent and basic bills. I'd be spending a month with almost no cash.

An inventory of my cupboards revealed I had enough canned food to get by. But more important, I spent some time praying to know that God would take care of my needs. This wasn't the first time I'd prayed in this way, but it was the first time that I had to trust wholeheartedly. I didn't tell anyone of my situation because I wanted to rely on God instead of on people.

What was amazing during this whole period was that I felt wonderfully cared for. People spontaneously gave me things to eat—leftovers from a party, that kind of thing. One person even bought me a six-pack of soda just because "she felt like it"! I felt surprisingly content because I wasn't thinking of happiness in terms of having money to buy things. God's specific care was tangible. Through these evidences of kindness, in fact, I lived more luxuriously than I would have if I had been doing the buying.

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