Enjoy this gem from the archives of our friend and mentor, Christopher Chenoweth.
Let me tell you a true story, it is somewhat dated because it was before the age of
personal computers, back in the days of typewriters - which in truth, wasn't that long ago, at least in my mind.
It was 1985 in Rockford Illinois, 75 miles north of Chicago. Sigmund (name changed) was a struggling student studying to be a writer. He felt that he could progress faster if he had a typewriter. Sigmund asked several people to help him pray for a typewriter. Sigmund tithed on the little that he had,
but did it in joy, and full faith in God. All in the prayer group thanked God that he should have a typewriter now.
Although Sigmund had often been writing at his desk when his landlady came to straighten up his apartment, the very next morning she suggested that he go to the basement and get the typewriter some folks who had once lived there had left. She told Sigmund that he could have the typewriter.
Sigmund phoned and gave the prayer group an account of what had happened. He said, however, that the machine was not new and that he had taken it to have it cleaned and put in working order.
The following day Sigmund picked up the typewriter and asked the prayer group to come by and see it. They went to his place. They were quite certain that it was not the first typewriter ever built, but it might have been the
second ever manufactured. "Does it work?" They asked him. Sigmund laughed, and said that it does, in a matter of speaking.
During the next few weeks the machine needed fixing several more times and Sigmund told the prayer group that he finally decided to leave it in the repair shop. The prayer group said, "Why don't we try the typewriter prayer again? Let's apply what we learned from the other
effort. But we know that a typewriter alone is not enough. What kind of machine do you want?" Sigmund thought and answered, “It doesn't have to be new, but it should be a late model of a standard make and also be in good working condition.” The prayer group said, “All right, that's our prayer, a late-model standard make in perfect working order.” The prayer group went to work on it that night.
It was three
days later when Sigmund telephoned and said that he had been trying to reach the prayer group. Sigmund said, “A friend of mine who's going into the Army brought me a typewriter that is only three months old. I once lent him my car to drive his mother to Seattle and he said he didn't know when he'd need the typewriter again, if ever, and he wanted me to have it.” The prayer group asked, “What kind of condition is it in?” “Perfect!” was Sigmund's answer.
Sigmund said, “That's not all, you remember me telling you about my friends who live across the street?" The prayer group responded, "The ones for whom you mowed the lawn when the man had his broken ankle?” Sigmund said, “The same." He explained, "When I came back from the store this afternoon, the wife called me over. They are going back east and they have more than they can haul in their car. They bought a typewriter a couple years ago
when they tried out a mail order business at home, but now they're going back to seek other employment, and so they gave me the typewriter. The wife said that she had been watching him writing in longhand at the window they wanted Sigmund to have it.” Sigmund said, “I couldn't refuse so I brought it home.” The prayer group wanted to know, “Is it in good condition too?” Sigmund said, “It is in perfect condition.”
Then Sigmund laughed. He said, "I have three typewriters now. I went for the mail this morning and there was almost a new machine in front of my apartment door with a written note, 'This is a gift.' I thought that perhaps the prayer group had sent it.” The prayer group said that they didn't know anything about it. Sigmund said, “Well we better turn this prayer off. I do not want to go into the typewriter business.”
Since those years Sigmund has used the tithing and prayer formula time and time again and is today a newspaper writer living in a major city on the East Coast. One last part to this story. Remember the old typewriter Sigmund left at the repair shop? It turns out it was quite rare. The repair shop sold it, and sent Sigmund a sizable check.
When you share with God it is like
planting a seed. It opens up the windows of heaven for you, pouring out your chosen God good. Give first, plant the seed, and reap the harvest of overflowing God good.
