Raining Glass

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)

One of the problems of my new found hobby is that glass is very expensive. It is not uncommon for me to walk into the glass store to buy only one or two sheets of glass and end up spending a hundred dollars. Or two hundred. No matter how hard I try to stay in budget, I usually have to take a deep breath when they give me the total. Though husband is working a lot more hours, he has taken a pay cut. We are already trying to reduce our debt and reduce expenses, but it is even more necessary now. So, I resolved to stay out of the glass store for a while. At the beginning of last week, I started a list of projects to get ready for a craft show that my friend, Patty, is hosting at her plant nursery. Several crafters have been invited to sell their outdoor creations. That means I need to be making more wind chimes and garden ornaments. But, I knew that I was getting low on some colors. I didn’t see how I could get near enough stock to create a nice display with the little bit of glass I had left. It was very tempting just to whip out the credit card and make a run to the glass shop. One morning, when my schedule at work was relatively clear, meaning I could take an extended lunch and go, I was struggling with the temptation. I prayed that God would keep me from indulging and help me to be content with what I had. Not thirty minutes later, Patty called me. “I just bought you a present and you are going to be so happy,” she said. “I can’t wait to give it to you!” “What is it,” I asked. She said, “I was at a yard sale at a mobile home park and found some glass. It had just been marked down, and I got it real cheap.” It sounded interesting, but I thought it is probably stained glass and that’s not the same as glass that you use for fusing. Still, I thought I might be able to do something with it, and I didn’t want to ruin Patty’s excitement so I thanked her and we made arrangements to get it to my house. Yesterday, she delivered two boxes the size that Xerox paper comes in. There is tons and tons of glass worth about $500 and in all kinds of beautiful colors. Still, I was convinced it wouldn’t fuse. Today, I did a test run with just a few samples and guess what, it fuses! And it looks lovely! I am so excited. And I am even more delighted to think that at the exact same moment I was asking God to keep me from spending money I didn’t have to waste, He placed Patty at a yard sale and showed her two boxes of glass for me at a fraction of what it was worth.