Joy Bundles

                                                    JOY BUNDLES
                                                                   T. Wieland Allen
   One of the greatest things about our knowing God is that He sends bundles of joy into our lives, incidents that could only be orchestrated and commissioned by Him.    By human means it would be impossible for certain incidents, situations and scenarios to come together to form the bundles of joy that thrill us and give us overflowing joy that is what we know as joy unspeakable, meaning the miracles of the situation are so rare and impossible that they are hard to put into human words.  One of those incidents happened to me recently and I will try to put into words the phenomenon and trust that you will follow the succession of events, believe them and that they might give you a chuckle and a thrill.
    I had reason to call a plumber because both of my showers were inoperable.  That's the only way I can explain them, being ignorant of all areas of plumbing.   One shower in the blue bathroom had worked one day and the next day it not only did not work but when I tried to force the handle to the faucet to allow water to come out of the spigot, the handle broke.  Well, there was no shower being taken out of that bathroom that day.  I went to the yellow bathroom and pulled on the handle, which always resulted in water coming out of its spigot.  Nope.  It wouldn't even turn or pull out.  No one had used it in two years so my guess was that the stem was the problem, which my favorite plumber, Robert, had cautioned me against if I did not occasionally turn the faucet on in that bathroom in order for the stem to stay workable.   I had, for a year or so, neglected to take Robert's advice.  
    So I had two showers that didn't work.  I had another bathroom with a bathtub but no one had used that bathtub in years, so its slow release of water from the spigot was so slow it would have taken all day to get enough water in which to bathe.  I quickly called Robert, the plumber, who had been faithful to my family for years.  In fact, when my husband had cancer, Robert, who is also a minister, was the only person whom my husband Steve had personally asked to pray for him.  Robert obliged and Steve had an immediate sense of peace come over him.  So Robert was our go-to guy in many ways.
    I called Robert and he said he would be able to help me with my multiple plumbing problems, which he did.  He was able to fix both of the showers in the two bathrooms and went on his way after I had told him about my husband Steve's dream about going to heaven in a dream before he actually went to heaven.  Robert was thrilled with Steve's dream, and Robert remarked that it was so wonderful of God to give Steve a sense of the love, peace and comfort of heaven before his body died.  I had told that testimony to many people and many of the people had told me that Steve's dream had taken away all fear of death from them.  Robert was equally excited because he had known Steve and he knew that God was the only originator of that dream . I also told Robert about God's dream for me before Steve died, a dream that helped me deal with Steve's death with great expectations of my having a wonderful life after Steve went to heaven.  Robert was equally as thrilled for me.   Robert had fixed my two showers that day and we had shared the marvels of God giving dreams to His children when the need arises which prepares them for an unhappy event.  Our dreams had made an unhappy event turn into a glorious event.      
    That is only part of the joy bundle.   There was more.
    The next morning after I took a shower in the newly operating shower in the blue bathroom, I stepped out of the shower, dried off and all of a sudden a strange loud noise came out of that bathroom that was certainly a matter of concern for me.  It was loud and my immediate thought was about a man who said that a pipe had busted behind his wall in his bathroom but because he had so quickly heard it, he was able to get to the pipe and fix it before it did much damage.  That was good news for me to remember but I was ill equipped to turn off the water.  I ran all over that part of the house to see if there was water pouring out of any wall, did the same downstairs in the basement and the garage, ran back upstairs and the sound in the blue bathroom was still as loud and menacing as it had been from the moment I had stepped out of the shower.  I wondered if some of the work that Robert had done the previous day had caused an old pipe to break loose at that inopportune time.  
    I called Robert and told him about my dilemma, that I was convinced that a pipe had busted behind the sink in the blue bathroom.  Robert said he would be right over, which he did.  I only had time to get dressed because a large towel had only been my mode of dress since I heard the sound of water running behind the wall in the blue bath immediately after I had taken a wonderful shower the previous day in the blue bathroom that Robert had fixed.  I barely had time to dress and clean out under the sink in the bathroom where I could hear water rushing forcefully behind the wall.  Thankfully Robert, the plumber, was able to rush quickly to my house.  I'm sure he had visions of having to knock out a wall, etc., the same image that was running through my mind.  
    Robert and I rushed into the blue bathroom.  Robert said yes, he did hear a loud voice.  He got down on his knees in front of the open cabinet door of the sink, looked inside of the door and then he looked up onto the top of the cabinet to the sink.  He picked up my portable electric toothbrush which was sitting in a plastic glass next to that wall of the cabinet to the sink and Robert said to me.  "It's Mr. Steve telling you good morning is what it is."  The electric toothbrush which had been inoperable the previous night had suddenly decided to become operable and the plastic glass containing it was beating against that wall behind the sink with a furry, making the loud noise that I thought was a busted pipe behind that wall.  
   Did I ever feel like an idiot.  Not in all of my previous investigations of furiously looking for the source of the sound of running water did I ever look on top of the sink cabinet and see my portable electric toothbrush shaking vigorously enough to make the plastic glass in which it sat to vibrate enough against that wall to sound like running water behind that wall.
    Robert was so kind.  After I apologized over and over to him for bringing him out on a plumbing job to discover that the problem was a vibrating electric toothbrush, Robert was so kind in saying that I didn't need to apologize for my dead husband telling me good morning through that toothbrush.  He said that I should savor the moment, which I was already doing because when he held up the vibrating toothbrush the first thing that came to mind was that Steve had caused the nonoperative toothbrush to suddenly become operable again without my putting new batteries in it, which I had intended to do later.  It had plenty of power left in the batteries to cause a loud enough sound to scare me into thinking that it was a busted pipe.  It had started vibrating on its own with no human help close by.
   Robert was a prince.  He would not accept any money for his time.  I had to almost chase him down to make him take what he charges just for an estimate.   Robert and I spent a few extra minutes with my telling Robert another testimony about Steve which thrilled Robert.  He had never heard such a miraculous story as the one I told him about Steve's experience in becoming a child of God.   Robert went on his way back to his other job, I'm sure chuckling about the 85 year old lady who had mistaken a vibrating toothbrush for a broken pipe.
   Later that night my loving daughter-in-law Rhea had initiated a Facetime call with me so that I could see her darling 16 month old baby boy eating his evening meal.  While we talked, I told her the story about the toothbrush which was really Steve telling me good morning.  We shared the truth of that miracle and she told me that immediately before she had called me that Cruz the baby had been sitting in his favorite kid's chair and he had looked into the kitchen, waved vigorously at somebody he was seeing there and then laughed like he was seeing someone make funny faces.  Rhea did not see anyone but she was convinced that Cruz had seen somebody spiritually and he had waved vigorously at the person and even laughed at some antic the spiritual person had done.  Rhea told me that she was convinced that the person that Cruz was interacting with was Great Grandpa Steve in the heavenly dimension making contact with his first great grandchild on the same day that he had made contact with me at my house by the vibrating inoperable electric toothbrush.
   There was no doubt in either of our minds.  Rhea said that Cruz had definitely seen somebody that was invisible to her eyes because he had waved vigorously and then laughed like he had seen somebody make funny faces.  
  The Bible says that we are surrounded in the heavenly dimension by a cloud of witnesses and it names the spirits of the people who have been made perfect as being in that cloud of witnesses.  It also says that children behold their angels who are in the presence of God.  Great Grandpa Steve made two appearances that day and both were appreciated.   I still had a foolish feeling for missing the toothbrush being the reason for the loud sound, but after remembering what Robert, the plumber, said, I genuinely appreciated the message from Steve in saying good morning to me from heaven.
   What a lucky lady I am to be able to have a Heavenly Father who allows us to witness miracles abounding in bundles that produce joy unspeakable and full of glory.  

MIRACLE
                                                               T. Wieland Allen
    On February 11 and 12, 2021, my refrigerator began to die.  I started to fret but was reminded to count it all joy when something bad happens.  I would say that I counted it all joy but not with a very joyful attitude.  Suddenly, from heaven, came the thought, "Think about this event as having all of the ingredients for a miracle"  Okay.   That was a much better thought for me to entertain as the fridge continued to work and then die for hours which caused the food in the freezer to start defrosting.  I kept referring to every inconvenience that it was it was an additional ingredient necessary for a miraculous outcome.  Sometimes I said it to myself ten times a day, sometimes only two times a day , but I kept up the image in my mind that God was going to make a miracle out of it.  I knew there was predicted to be an ice storm on the night of the 12th, and then large amounts of snow was forecast for several days.  I envisioned being weeks without a fridge, so I went to the Sears store in late afternoon on the 12th to see about getting a fridge delivered the next day if my old one continued in its erratic manner.
     When I entered the Sears store the owner was waiting on a couple who was contemplating buying a very large fully contained exercise machine.  I located the fridge that I wanted to buy and waited patiently on a stool while the couple talked back and forth about whether to buy or not.  I was very patient and noticed the couple always looking back and forth from the machine to me, probably because they felt pressured to make that decision because I was waiting so patiently.  I kept assuring the owner of the store, Chris, and the couple that I was not in any hurry, for them to take their time.  Suddenly a man and his son came into the store, went right to a display of tools, located a very large metal case containing multiple large tools, and they talked about whether to buy it or not.
     The couple looking at the exercise machine had additional pressure from the man and his son waiting to buy the case of tools, plus me waiting on the stool.  The couple hurriedly decided to buy the exercise machine with all three of us customers waiting, after which the owner checked them out and came to wait on me.  I told him to go ahead and write up the man and his son's purchase of the large case of tools, which Chris did while I waited patiently on the stool. 
    After Chris wrote up their purchase for the man and his son, he came to help me.  I told him about my 18 year old fridge and its current problem of going on and off many times, to which Chris told me that it was on the way to dying which could happen in a day, a month or a year. I told him that I would go home and if the fridge continued in its erratic behavior that I would call him and I would purchase the new fridge which I had chosen.
   On my way out, I jokingly told Chris that he needed to thank me for my timing in being there because it's possible that neither the couple nor the man and his son would have decided on their purchases if I had not been sitting patiently on the stool.  Chris acknowledged that I was right, thanked me, and asked me if I would come back regularly to replay the event so that he would make more sales.  We both had a laugh over that.  There seemed to be a real spiritual connection between us with that realization.
   My fridge died that night so I called Chris the next day and purchased my new fridge.  The anticipated ice storm arrived during the night so it was impossible for him to deliver the new fridge the next day.  He told me that if the predicted huge amount of snow came in that night that it might be the next week or longer before he was able to deliver my new fridge.   I told him that I would manage by putting my frozen food in large plastic bins, put them outside and they would stay frozen, which I did for the next week.  I put the fresh food, milk, etc. in a small office fridge which I keep in the home office and that sufficed for the next week.
     A week later the snow was so deep that I had visions of the scenario going on for another week after that.  However, only a week and a day later Chris from Sears called and said that he was going to deliver the new fridge even though there was still 8-10 inches of snow on the ground.  Since it is impossible to get into my split level house without coming up 8 to12 stairs, I told him to park in the adjoining neighbor's driveway and bring the dolly containing the new fridge through the snow and onto the sidewalk leading into the house that only had two steps on which to maneuver the effort to get the new fridge in the house and the old fridge out of the house.  I had already called my neighbor and asked if the deliveryman could park in his driveway to which he remarked that he had a furnace repairman coming to his house and that that repairman needed to also park in his driveway.  We agreed that it would work out somehow.  In ten minutes my neighbor called me and told me that the furnace repairman had already come, fixed the problem and left.  It was definitely miracle number two. 
     Chris took my advice and parked in the neighbor's driveway, pulling in just as the furnace repairman pulled out.  Yes, that was miracle number two.   Miracle number two happened the day before.  As only God can plan, the day before Chris came with the new fridge, God had sent a friend to clean off my front walk and front porch, which facilitated Chris in his effort to bring the new fridge into my house and take the old one out.  Having the front walk cleaned off which leads partially to the street was necessary for sure on which to rest the new fridge while Chris removed the old one.  That cleaning off the sidewalk on the perfect day, the day before delivery of the fridge, was miracle number one in the scenario. 
    Chris is a man about 5'7" and maybe about 160 pounds.  I assumed he would have someone in his truck to help him with the large fridge.  As I peered out the door, that small man appeared in my sight pulling the dolly the last 30 feet or so through the deep snow and he fell right before my eyes into the snow, he picked himself up, and he finally pulled the dolly the last 30 feet in the snow and stopped at the cleaned off sidewalk leading to my front door.  He looked exhausted, brushed the snow off of his clothes and shoes, and he placed the new fridge at the end of the sidewalk leading to my front door while he came into my house, took off the front door to the house and moved several furniture items which impeded his way to get the new fridge in and the old fridge out.
    There were three sharp turns after getting the new fridge which was on the dolly into the house and into the kitchen and, of course, the same three sharp turns for him to get the old fridge which he had placed on  the dolly wheeled out of the house.  Chris would stop occasionally and I could see him contemplate his next move.  I prayed silently for wisdom for him to figure it out.  At one point as he pulled the dolly-laded fridge in the front door, I commented that it had previously looked impossible for him to accomplish his feat of getting the dolly through the snow with the heavy, bulky fridge on it, but I said that I had confidence in him.
    Chris quickly replied that at one point while pulling the fridge on the dolly through the snow that he was unsure if he could accomplish his feat.  He could certainly at that point not push the dolly and huge fridge back through the snow the 30 feet to the neighbor's driveway where his pickup truck and trailer were parked, so he said that he prayed for strength and, sure enough, extra strength came, so he was able to pull the dolly the last 30 feet to the sidewalk.  He commented that without the extra strength from God that he could never have done it.       
    Chris and I talked about God supplying our every need if we ask him when it appears that we need extra help.  I told him that I noticed his contemplating every move before he made it and that I had prayed for divine wisdom for him for him in order for him to succeed in his task.  Chris said that the job was a huge challenge for him but he has found that God will always supply everything necessary to complete every challenge.  He told me that he looks at everything in life that is a challenge as an opportunity for God to intervene in the situation and give to him whatever is necessary to accomplish the solution to the challenge.  I assured him that I am a person of faith, also, with a family who always looks on the positive side in every situation.  Christ was amazed at that confession.  I complimented him again and again on his drawing on God's help in every part of his challenge that day, in which there were many. There was a spirit of harmony between us, two children of God sharing our confidence in Him and His ability to supply every need that comes into our lives.
    It took Chris another 45 minutes to get the old fridge out alone and the new fridge in its proper place in the kitchen by his strategically making the three sharp turns that were necessary with the dolly and heavy fridge.  I did not watch him because I felt like watching him would interfere with his obvious communications with God on how to accomplish the huge job.  I have never, ever seen a man keep such a good attitude and have a patient, endearing faith in God's ability to supply everything he needed when faced with such a huge challenge.
     Chris was finally finished and we shared again the experience of God supplying everything that Chris had needed in getting that huge fridge on the dolly through the snow and into the house and then accomplishing the three sharp turns it took to place the new fridge in its final resting place in the kitchen and then his making the three sharp turns again with the old fridge in taking it outside to load onto his trailer.  It was a beautiful thing to behold after he accomplished it. 
    As we stood by the front door when he was ready to leave, Chris noticed a wooden replica of angel wings hanging on the handle of my front door.  He asked if he could take a picture of the wings because he does wooden crafts and he wants to copy the wings to make gifts for women in his church.  We talked about real angels and their place in God's entire scheme of things in accomplishing His will in the earth.  Chris used his arms and hands to indicate to me where God's angels are all around us in the spiritual dimension called the kingdom of God.  I was reveling in the unity of God between us which I was experiencing with Chris.  There was such faith, peace and tranquility coming from Chris which matched my peace and faith.
   Sudden, as he was leaving, I asked him a question that I never ask anyone because there is a tendency to size up someone's level of faith after knowing the doctrine of their church, or lack of it.  However, I broke my tradition and asked Chris what church he attends, eager to know what church teachings have introduced him to such a life of peace, total dependency upon the guidance of God and a wonderful knowledge about the kingdom of heaven in the spiritual dimension around us.  I was astounded by his answer.  He told me that he attends the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I knew that was the Mormon church.
     I had heard from other denominations that the Mormon church is a cult with many false beliefs.  Boy, was I ashamed to have ever accepted that belief at one time.  My experience in knowing other Mormons was that they are very ethical, kind, peaceful and loving people.  However, I had never shared spiritual truths with a person with Mormon beliefs like I did with Chris that day.
   After Chris left my house and I watched him place the old fridge on the dolly, instead of pulling it back the 60 feet through the snow, he got in his pickup truck which was parked in the neighbor's driveway, pulled it with the trailer onto the street in front of my house, which was also deep in snow but not as far as the neighbor's driveway.  In his taking the dolly with the old fridge down the hill to the street, I was afraid that the fridge would fall off of the dolly onto him or slip away from him and careen down the hill into his truck.  I had no reason to be concerned.  He didn't just push or pull the dolly down the hill.  He walked the dolly from side to side, one wheel moving six inches or so at a time and then the other wheel moving six  inches at a time, down the hill onto the snow laded street.  The dolly didn't slide or fall because one wheel at a time was deep in the snow anchoring it as he moved the other wheel six inches.  At the street level, then he loaded the dolly and old fridge onto his trailer and off he went.  I am certain that Chris was praising God all the way back to his store for all of God's miraculous maneuvers that He facilitated for Chris through every step in his challenge for that day.
    I was overwhelmed by the calm, peaceful, faith filled, gracious demeanor of that man, and I was surprised, I hate to admit, to hear the name of the church he attends which I had judged from the opinions of other people.  After I sat down in my recliner, I told God that I was astonished that the man was a Mormon.  The answer from heaven came immediately into my thoughts.  The thought came, "I told you in the Bible that you belong to the entire body of Christ in which every joint supplies what is needed."  I suddenly thought about the Baptist church supplying a born again experience, the Pentecostal churches supplying the truth about being baptized by the Holy Spirit, the Churches of Christ and Disciples of Christ supplying the truth about Jesus Christ's sacrifice for the world, about the Methodist church teaching people to become servants of Christ, about the Catholic church being built on the forgiveness of God, about the Episcopal and Lutheran churches supplying the truth of the grace of God, the Unitarian church teaches on the entire church being universal and for all people, the Jehovah's Witnesses teaching on God's kingdom coming to earth, and now I know that the Mormon chuch is firm in the knowledge of the actions of God's angels in fulfilling His plan for His children in the earth and the possibility to become completely dependent upon God for guidance also.  Each church has found a truth and built a denomination upon that truth and most have not gone on to more truth.  The truth that is found in each church supplies a large portion of truth although no church has all of the truth.   At least those functions have become apparent to me in my experience of becoming exposed to the real Body of Christ.  So each church has a portion of truth and supplies what is needed to someone who is seeking that truth, each church only being a portion of truth found in the full gospel of Good News.       
   Sure enough, that word of truth from God erased any prejudice that I had for the Mormon church and its believers.  God was able to peal off a layer of religious prejudice from my own mind that day in my walk with Him.  His invisible body of Christ that is called "the church" is just like any human body with beautiful parts but also there might also be warts, pimples, sores and bruises on the other parts, just like with us and our bodies.  We must look on the spirit of a person instead of his flesh is what Jesus Christ said.  It was easy for me with Chris.  God's Spirit was visibly apparent in his life.
   Later this thought came into my mind from God.  "Getting rid of that prejudice in your mind leaves room now for Me to fill it with more truth."
   God knows just what to say to change our mortal minds into the mind of Christ where there is no prejudice.  That is necessary for having complete freedom from the demonic spirit of bigotry.     
   I must always remember this as being God's truth:  "During trying times the difficult incident has all the essential ingredients of becoming a miracle."  Now I know that as being a portion of divine truth.
   First God gave me the faith to believe for it, and then God proved it to me by producing several miracles all tied together in one huge miracle, freeing me from a religious prejudice.    
   He always knows just what to say and what to do because He is Our Father.