Jesus, By Greg Miller © 2017

Evan and his wife, Eva, celebrated their birthdays on the same day.

Evan and Eva were preparing to celebrate their 20^th wedding anniversary. “Next week is our birthday celebration,” Evan reminded his wife. “Do you want to celebrate by going to our favorite restaurant like we always do on our anniversary?”

“Of course,” replied Eva, always open to her husband’s suggestions. “That’s a great idea. We can celebrate our birthdays and our anniversary at the same time.”

Eva continued, “I also think we should continue the tradition we began right after we were married.”

“Which tradition?” asked Evan.

“The one we both enjoy the most,” Smile Eva. “Taking all the money our friends and relatives give us as birthday presents and sending it to support the work of Christian missionaries around the world.”

Wow! Of course!” Evan beamed. “There’s no reason I wouldn’t want to continue that tradition. Since we began doing that, the Sovereign Lord has blessed us tremendously.”

Eva heartily agreed, as she remembered, “The first year we gave to the missionaries, God blessed us with a new car that a friend bought for us.”

Evan recalled, “The following year, I was hired at my new job, making five dollars an hour more than I had been making.”

“And I got a new job at the local day care center,” Eva said. “I’ve wanted to work with children ever since we got married.”

“I know honey,” Evan responded. “We haven’t been able to have any children of our own since we got married. But God continues to bless us in so many ways.”

Evan and Eva were unaware of two tremendous blessings that were in store for them. One day, Elisha, president of the bank which financed Evan and Eva’s mortgage, called Evan with good news.

Elisha said, “An anonymous philanthropist stopped by the bank yesterday and paid off the remainder of your mortgage, so your loan balance is now zero!”

Evan told Eva the good news. “I also received a great report today,” she said. “I had a doctor’s appointment,  and she told me we are going to have a baby.”

“God’s Word is certainly true,” Evan said. “He quoted Luke 6:38, “’give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.’”

“That’s good preaching, brother!” Eva exclaimed. “Mighty good preaching!”

Evan reminded his wife, “Jesus said, ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Eva chuckled and said, “But you have to admit, receiving is pretty cool, too!”

To contact the writer of this column about speaking engagements, including Christian Comedy Fundraising Outreaches, Christian Creativity Seminars and/or puppet ministry, please email [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected].

By Greg Miller  2018

 Greg is retired from the Elizabethton STAR Newspaper, after working there for almost 23 years. He now freelances for the paper. Contact email address is [email protected], also facebook.com/kidcool4jesus. Available for speaking engagements/other ministries. Jesus is Lord