$250 gift card. Obey God no matter what it looks like to other people.

Noah built an ark even though he didn't know what rain was.  Jonah asked to be thrown overboard into the water, which would lead to detainment and mental evaluation, these days.  Obama ran for President...anyway.  You did what God told you to do and prospered.   Obey, even when it looks wrong.

During a particularly interesting situation this year, God reminded me of some ways He has shown me that He was with me.  

One of those incidences, a  few years ago, involved a gift card.

My husband volunteered at a particular place on a regular basis. Others who he volunteered with became friends.  Some volunteered alone, others volunteered with their spouses.  Now, both my husband and I have the volunteer spirit.  I've been an avid volunteer, making sure to add or change where I volunteered yearly,  from around 1980 until the early 2000s.  He has been a volunteer since we married in the mid 90s.  We've always had separate volunteer interest, due to the nature of the volunteerism, our schedules and the fact that we, like everyone else in this world, are individuals with individual interests and callings.  

Well, at the particular place I'm referring to in this post, there were people who thought we should volunteer together. I wasn't interested. My husband didn't care that I wasn't interested because of one particular aspect of the situation. It was a long-term event that revolved mainly around men, anyway.  Core workers were both genders, all ages.  Volunteers were diverse in many ways.   

So, there were volunteers, who I barely knew, that decided to have an issue with me not helping.  I can't remember how they informed me, because I rarely saw them, but I got the "this is how you need to support your husband" suggestions. I was livid. I have NEVER approached a spouse to tell them how to support their spouse. Even if a spouse has spoken to me about something, I wouldn't dare approach their spouse about the conversation. If one can't talk to their own spouse about issues, I'm certainly not doing it for them.  Anyway, the few times I participated, I got the side eye, the attitude and the avoidance.  I couldn't go off on them...well, I did, a little, but not like I really wanted to.

Anyway, once per year, the organization gave a gift card to each volunteer.  I was not on the list, didn't want to be on the list because I was not a participant.  My few appearances there were only to be with my husband.  But, every time he got a card, he gave it to me. I didn't ask for it. I didn't expect to get it. It was his.  He and I don't get in each other's personal money business.  

One year, the last year they gave gift cards, was particularly aggravating for me because i really felt the ire of other volunteers - nosey, busby bodies. That year, my husband was handed several gift cards to give to others in his group.  He handed out the cards and brought me his card. I took it to the store and spent the small amount that's always on the card.  The cashier handed the card back and said that I had $225 left on the card.  I asked her to check it three more times.  I was shocked.  I texted my husband that a decimal point must have been keyed incorrectly when the cards were ordered for the volunteer organization and I got one that had much more money on it than it should have.  He told me he check with the organization and they said to keep it, don't worry about it.  I was delighted. God quickly let me know that He gave me that card and He knew the reason I wasn't a volunteer for that event and He was pleased.  

When people don't understand your "no", stand on what God told you to do.  He will surely let you know that He's on your side because He's the one that gave the command to you to say "No". Situations aren't just about you.  Situations are about everyone involved, for whatever reason they need to be in the situation. My "no" was fro me, others and God.