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The Blue Letter Bible

Amy Carmichael :: Nor Scrip—14. In Currency Notes

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I have told in an earlier chapter how sometimes, just in the hour of need, the post brought us ready money to pay for something at that moment required. Twice during this period there were similar times of pressure, when it had been impossible to get money in time to meet certain payments, and we, sorely distressed by the sorrows of Ponnamal's illness and some private troubles of our own, had hardly leisure of mind to give to accounts. We turned to the Lord and told Him so, and asked Him to send money in cash instead of by cheque, to carry us over the difficulty.

Of course it should never have occurred. There were the Baskets to draw from. But they were out of reach for the moment, and as I have told, I had not been watching the cash box. But do not such matters make as it were a platform for His kindness? Not extreme to mark what is done amiss, looking down on us His poor children with such wonderfully kind eyes, that is our Father. He knew we were tired and dazed with pain, the sore pain of watching pain, for Ponnamal was dying then, and He let us pray that prayer and write down even the hour of it. It was 5:30 a.m. of a day that was going to be (save for the comforts of love) a whole little cupful of grief.

At 8 a.m. that same morning a large blue bank, envelope registered and insured was handed to me. I opened it wonderingly. It contained three thousand rupees and-last detail of thoughtfulness-in small notes, exactly what was required for our payments (large notes being difficult to negotiate in this little country place). Such a sum, £200, had never before reached us in notes. Gifts touching hundreds were always sent by draft direct to the Bank of Madras, or by cheque to us.

Once again, and this time all the way from Russia, a gift in currency notes was paid into our hands; the giver, one of the Lord's hidden ones now, wrote that it seemed to her all Governments were doing the bidding of the Prince of this present world. We knew she had an intimate knowledge of what she was writing about, but little dreamed how swiftly in her own poor country those words would be fearfully verified. We never knew if she received our letter of thanks, never knew till just lately whether she had lived or had been swept in that whirlwind of destruction safe out of reach of storms; and often we marvelled at the ways of the Lord, who can out of the very edge of such mighty events command help for this very little place in so far a corner of the earth.

Almost immediately afterwards another law-suit threatened us. To make all safe for the child concerned, ready money was required, and required without warning. There was no time to send to get it, nor was there need, for it came.

Again and again in what seems to us a truly wonderful way, the particular need of the hour has been supplied by gifts coming to us in notes. It was so during those very difficult years when cheques seemed to melt in our hands. It is so even now. For at the time of writing, month by month, a registered envelope falls, like a benediction made visible, on our breakfast table, just as the month is beginning and many petty payments have to be made in cash; and the sight of it carries us back to a very hard time when one in Government Service, whom we soon knew to be God's knight, came to camp with us.

We had never intended it, of course; but he asked a question to which the only answer could be a glance at our books. I can hear now the quick drawn breath over a certain month, and see the look of human kindness and gladness over the next, which showed how very safe it is to trust the Lord.

There are many claims upon such men in India. A family at home, the demands of life out here. If we had thought he would want to help us I think we should have parried his questions, we should certainly never have shown him that book. But when his letter came saying that month by month this gift would be sent to us, he so put matters that we could not refuse. It was understood that it must not be thought of as a promise. We made that clear (for it might not be right to go on), and with this proviso what could we say but our one word Inasmuch?

So as the new month comes, with the little new bundle of notes in its hand, we take them and are thankful.

Nor Scrip—13. Weeding, and the Major's Cheque ← Prior Section
Nor Scrip—15. Limelight and Another Illumination Next Section →
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