DOES GOD GET INVOLVED IN HUMAN AFFAIRS?!? (Speech for Toastmaster 5/7/18)

Mr. Toastmaster, Fellow Toastmaster, Honored Guests, Does God Get Involved in Human Affairs, I need to know!

Naturally so I am very skeptical, raised in a Christian home, social outlet was centered on church, and my dad was a Pastor.  We were taught to say our prayers at night and say our grace before meals.  I wondered was God listening or was I speaking to the air.

One night I went to a youth fellowship and a mother of the church taught us if we ASK God, He would provide.  YEAH, RIGHT!!! She invited us to come whisper into her ear what we wanted God to do for us.  I was bold and wanted to give God something hard to do, as there were 13 children and I was the 7^th one, and seldom did we have everything we wanted.

Easter was closely approaching and we usually received a homemade dress and one pair of black patent leather shoes but I wanted more.  I wanted two pair of shoes, a pair of brown loafers and black and white oxford shoes, two store bought dresses and a spring coat. I had never had a spring coat in my entire 10 years of life.  I whispered this into her ear and forgot about it.

About a week before Easter we received a box from Chicago Illinois, we lived in Tennessee, and my Grandma would periodically send us hand me downs from my many cousins in Chicago. Well, I went outside to play, because nothing fit me anyway.  I was CHUBBY, but cute! Nothing would fit me, so let the rest of them fight over the clothes. 

To my surprise, my mother called me into house to try on a pretty dress, CHUBBY girls, never got pretty dresses, I wore a size 13 sub teen at age 10. I tried the store bought dress on and it fit like a glove, then she handed me another one.  WOW!  Then she pulled out a pair of loafers, and a pair of black and white shoes and nobody could wear them but me. Thought I would hang around a little longer, and she pulled out a spring coat and nobody wanted it but me.

Fellow Toastmasters, does God get involved in human affairs?!?

On January 6, 2018, I was homeless, devastated and felt so violated.  I arrived home and my neighbors were asking for all the containers I could find as water was coming into their homes. I complied; as I was preparing for bed I heard gushes of water coming into my home. I didn’t know what to do so I prayed. I finally called Medic Restoration Company to do damage control. My home was eventually guttered. I did end up in hotel.  One day got caught up in paper work from insurance company and I actually sat in my car but I had a peace that passed all understanding. I took care of business by phone and I noticed on that day it wasn’t as cold as the other days.

One day while in hotel room, looking out the window at the snow, rain, and sleeting I had a grateful heart. I was just grateful to have any roof over my head and my basic needs met, but I still felt homeless so I prayed, Lord, if I was home right about now I would have a hot pot of soup and hot cornbread.  A few minutes later a knock on the door, a person brought me my favorite soup and hot cornbread.

One Sunday I had to get up early, clean car off; didn’t realize how blessed I was as first time in 20 years have to clean car off, I have a garage. Had to stay late for church and I was exhausted and I knew I was not going to stop for food.  As I drove I asked God for a home cooked meal and started laughing.  Had no idea how I was going to get a home cooked meal, but that was not my problem, I was asking.  When I got to hotel room received a phone call: “Ms. Ernestine, what hotel are you? I have some homemade food for you and I’m bringing it over.”  What?! Wow!!! Come on over!  

Fellow Toastmasters, you are young, wise, intelligent and professional, please tell me, Did God get involved in MY affairs – or was it a coincidence?  YOU DECIDED!!!