God’s Plan for My Kitchen Table: A story about hearing the Father’s voice

Shortly after purchasing a beautiful oak dining room table and chairs, my husband and I discovered our active family needed something more practical.

Late Friday afternoon I made arrangements to place an ad in the newspaper so we could sell our set and purchase one better suited to our needs. Confident we would find success in snapping up a quick sale, we expected the phone to begin ringing on Monday morning.

While waiting for service to start on Sunday morning, I scanned the church bulletin. A notice jumped out highlighting a Russian ministry in need of household furniture. I instantly sensed a strong impression in my spirit. Give your dining set to this ministry.

You want me to give what? I almost blurted out. I quickly pushed the thought out of my mind, silently trying to convince myself that my imagination was working overtime. Unconvinced, I subtly turned around to see who had spoken, but the seats were empty.

God surely wouldn’t tell me to give our dining set away, would He? I thought. After all, He knows we need the money from the sale of our set in order to buy another set. He knows we just placed an ad in the newspaper, doesn’t He?

After discussing the dilemma with my husband, I quickly realized God wanted to deal with me, as Tom supported giving or selling the furniture. The decision was mine to make.

I wrestled in my spirit for the remainder of the day. Unable to sleep, I continued wrestling throughout the night. The oak furniture stuck in my mind as a spiritual battle raged in my heart. Desperate to find peace, I considered compromising. I’ll donate the set if it doesn’t sell within one week. The suggestion of compromise made me feel even worse.

Determined to press through my restlessness, spiritual fog gradually lifted as obedience to God became clear. When morning dawned, I quickly surrendered to God’s leading. Still in my bathrobe, I shuffled through cluttered papers on the countertop to find the church bulletin. Like a child anxiously waiting to tell a big secret, I could hardly wait to make the call.

“Does your ministry possibly need a dining room set?” I asked.

Without hesitation, the woman gratefully took me up on my offer. Compassion stirred in my heart when she told me about a Russian family of nine who arrived in the United States with nothing but the clothes on their back. “They have no furniture. Not even a table to eat on.”

Peace rose in my spirit as I realized it was God’s voice I heard.

“We won’t be able to give you a receipt for tax purposes,” she added. “I’ll understand if you want to change your mind.”

“I don’t need a receipt.” No longer blind, I knew a tax write off was irrelevant to my obedience to God.

After making arrangements to pick up the furniture, she added, “Thank you for obeying what God asked you to do with your table.”

How did she know? I had not shared my story with her, as I was too ashamed to expose my spiritual struggle of obedience.

Overcome by God’s grace as I hung up the phone, tears of repentance fell to the floor. I wept as my heart of stone was divinely transformed in a heavenly moment.

The Russian man arrived at our home with an interpreter the next afternoon. His eyes watered when I led him to his new furniture. Emotionally charged foreign words poured from his mouth while he wiped his wet cheeks.

“He says he’s never received anything so nice; he has never owned anything so nice. He is thankful,” the interpreter explained.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you” he choked out as they loaded his gift into the back of his rusty truck and slowly drove away. Watching them disappear around the corner I pondered the overflowing heart of gratitude I had witnessed.

The following week, the Russian ministry leader approached me with a beaming smile. “Do you know anything about the family you donated your furniture to?” she asked.

“No, not really,” I said, interested in what she was leading to.

“The family you gave your dining room set to is known in Russia for their generous hearts. Every time we visit Russia, we hear testimonies of their sacrificial giving. Although they have little, they willingly give of what they have.” Then she divulged, “This family prayed and asked God for the furniture they needed. They trusted God to provide for them.”

Her testimony of God’s faithfulness came forth as loving warmth swept through my emotions. I could only smile, knowing words would open a floodgate of grateful tears.

As numerous calls started coming in from people responding to our newspaper ad, I joyfully explained, “I’m sorry, the furniture is already gone.”

I smiled, confident God’s furniture was exactly where He intended it to be. I was just a tool He used to get it there.

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