The devastation caused by the wildfires in Fort McMurray, Alberta is
heartbreaking. Lacking the resources to
send a monetary donation, I wondered what I could do. Was there was a way my writing could be used
to support this cause?
When I prayed about this an answer came quickly. God impressed upon me that I should donate five
dollars from the sale of each of my books to the relief fund. I thought perhaps I’d misunderstood and tried
negotiating the amount. He made it clear to me that nothing else was acceptable.
A few days prior to this I’d sent out a press release to our
local papers to let them know my book, Dragonflies,
Snowdrifts & Spice Cake was a finalist in The Word Awards. A call for an interview came shortly after I
promised God I’d donate the amount he requested. I told the reporter that for the next month I
would be donating funds from the sale of my book to Fort McMurray relief
efforts. Now it was official.
My book is available at a local gift store and I called the
owner to let her know of my plan. She
offered to match my donation for any books sold in her store. Now the contribution to the relief fund would be ten
dollars from each book sale. God was already multiplying my gift.
An hour later I checked my email to find an inquiry from a
local women’s group. They hoped to
schedule me for later this month to speak about my writing journey. The coordinator
and I had met once, more than two years ago, and my business card had just
reappeared on her desk. I don’t believe in coincidence so knew God was behind
this.
I asked if I could bring books to sell and told her of my
plan to donate to Fort McMurray relief. She not only encouraged this but
offered to donate partial proceeds from the ticket sales to the same cause. Like the loaves and fishes, my little gift was to multiply even more.
Within hours of my prayer, God had set his plan in
motion. All it required from me was obedience. I don’t know what the results will be, but he
does. I am blessed to know my book has the opportunity to make a difference in
the lives those who may never read a word I write.
www.timewithtandy.com
