Tue, Jul 18th - 9:28PM

Double Blessing

We had been desperately searching for a house on rent as we had to vacate the one we were staying in because the term was over. For almost 2 months we looked here and there, asking, enquiring and inspecting. But our search did not yield fruit. Initially our prayers were routine, but as time passed and the deadline drew near our prayers were fervent.During that time, one night the Lord showed me a dream.

 “ A very rich man dressed in white, was distributing sweets to people gathered for a function. To every one he gave one sweet but when he came to me, he smiled and gave me two sweets.” The dream ended there.

I woke up the next morning and wondered what the dream was all about. Surely a double blessing was coming my way. I prayed for the same, not knowing in which area of my life it was to be.

“A man in white and a rich man too.”

Men who wore white were few in our town, except ofcourse a certain group of Pentecostals called “The Pentecostal Mission” or TPM. But I had no contacts with them whatsoever.

I forgot about this dream and our quest for a rented house continued. It was almost 2 months that we had been searching. One day after finishing my clinic work, I stopped near a wayside shop to buy a few things.

As I stopped and got down from my vehicle, I saw a Pastor known to me,stop his bike near me. After we exchanged pleasantries, I told him about our search for a house. He spoke of certain possible locations where we could still seek. As we talked, a car came to a stop on the opposite side of the road. Out of it emerged 2 persons both short and stockily built, one older and the other younger, an aura of the rich around them. The Pastor with me said, “Come, lets us ask that person, pointing to the older person who had stepped out the car. I said, “That’s fine with me.”

As the 2 came walking towards us the Pastor with me shook hands with them and asked them when they had came from abroad. After talking for sometime, he introduced me to the two and told them that I was searching for a house on rent. Immediately the older man said “That’s no problem, you can take my house, the top floor is vacant.” Come let me take you home. Pausing a little, he then said, “let me first show you this new shopping complex that I have built.”

A little walk from there, a four storied building built well came into view. He took me to every floor and showed me the rooms; on the top floor he paused and said, “This hall I have specially built in remembrance of my parents.” It is a prayer hall that I got made  and it can be availed by any one free of cost to conduct prayer meetings or worship services. In front of me was a wonderfully constructed hall with a side room and bath room. I told him that it would be a great blessing to those who worshipped there. “You can conduct  meetings here if you want, he said.” “Me?" I was almost startled.

What did this man know of me to so suddenly give a prayer hall to conduct meetings free of cost.? All he had heard from the Pastor a little while ago was that I am a Physician doing God’s work. I smiled at his offer saying I’ll think about it. A little later we proceeded in my car leaving the younger man, the other man’s son at the shopping complex.

As we traveled he asked me about the work that I was doing for God, about my family, about my clinic.

He had a wonderful house with a beautiful garden, with lots of flowers and all kinds of plants and trees.

“Come, he said as we entered his house.”  He introduced me to his wife and told her that we were searching for a house on rent. Later he took me to the 1^st floor of the house which was vacant. ‘You can stay here’ he said taking me to each room.

The house seemed ideal for us after such a long search and the rent he asked for was reasonable. I said I’ll discuss it with my wife and let him know.

As I took leave of him, he said “You can use the prayer hall, it’s free.” I smiled and returned home with the great news,. In a few days time after praying over this matter we had shifted to the new house and started a new church meeting in the prayer hall that the man had given us. For 4 years we had been praying for a  good hall to worship God. Till then we were worshipping in a dilapidated rental house several miles away. Now God had given us this wonderful prayer hall, all of a sudden. I believe while we prayed, God was building a hall for us at another place.

Jesus said,

 "My Father is always at his work to this very day,and I too am working."(John 5:17)

Before we shifted to the new house, one night while I sat in prayer (the next night after I had met the man who gave me his house and the prayer hall) I praised  God for his kindness and his love for giving us this rented house and the prayer hall.

“Thank you Jesus.” I burst into spontaneous praise for some time. “As I praised and them sat quietly before the Lord mediating, the Holy Spirit suddenly said, “It’s a double blessing.”

It was then that my mind raced back to the dream that the Lord had showed me about a month ago. “A rich man giving me 2 sweets while he gave only one to others.”

My heart again welled with praise as I thought about the dream fulfilled. But one part of the dream made me wonder. The man who gave me 2 sweets wore all white but when I had met him  he was just wearing a casual shirt and pant. As we had talked the previous day he had told me he too was a Pentecostal, but I had forgotten to ask him to which group he belonged. (The man whom God had shown in the dream was to be from TPM as I had recognized in the dream)

To make sure, the next day morning I called him and after greeting him asked him casually to which Pentecostal group he belonged.

Oh! We are from “TPM” (The Pentecostal Mission)Why do you ask? He queried.

Nothing! Just asking! I said, my heart rejoicing for God’s faithfulness. The Bible says,

"Know therefore that the Lord your God is God;he is the faithful God,keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands."(Deuteronomy 7:9)