Could this really be how God might work in our life today? Does He answer our prayers in ways that “WOW!” us or in ways that we cannot see, or maybe both? If you read last weeks article, you began the story from Dottie Rambo and her career as a gospel music writer/singer. Let’s conclude with the ‘rest of the story’ from Dottie Rambo, and I hope you’ll take time to consider and remember all that God has done in your life. Dottie’s personal account of this narrative continues…
“When we arrived (in Nashville to meet with Pop Benson) we began to look over the contract, I was dying to find out the amount. I said, ‘Let me look at it.’ Mr. Benson looked over his glasses and said, ‘Well, Dot, my girl, this is the best I can do.’ I really wasn’t interested in anything except the thirteen cents. When I looked at the amount, it read so many dollars and thirteen cents! When I saw that I said, ‘Give me a pencil.’ There was a mild protest, ‘Wait a minute, we haven’t read it that well. We don’t know that much about it.’ I said, ‘We don’t need to know anything else. We’re just supposed to sign it.’ So we signed it.”
“We got into our car and began pulling away from the curb. All of a sudden, I began talking quietly to the Lord. I said, ‘Lord, I appreciate You doing this for me. I know You must have done a million things like this that I didn’t know about or don’t remember, and haven’t thank You for, but You know me – I’m human and I forget. But when You do good things, just roll back the curtain and remind me of them and I’ll thank You for them!’ “
“When that happened the melody in my heart started rolling and I started weeping. I was asked, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ I said, “Nothing, I’m just rejoicing. I’m writing a song.’ During those one hundred miles home, without an instrument, I wrote, ‘Remind Me, Dear Lord.’ “
Whether God gave Dottie Rambo a ‘sign’ or if it was just a coincidence, no one can argue the fact her first contract ended with thirteen cents. And personally, I’m glad it did. For without it, we might not have this song to remind us that the things we love and hold dear to our hearts are just borrowed, they’re not ours at all. And whether you’ve sung this song before or not, Dottie reminds us that there is nothing good that we have done to deserve God’s Son. We’re not worthy of the scars in His hands. Today let me encourage you to take some time and just talk with God. Tell Him your plans, your wishes and then may…ask Him for thirteen cents!
The lesson’s we can learn from the pages of God’s word never cease to amaze me. Unfortunately, it seems we don’t open the Book often enough to learn those lessons. For example, do you remember Judges chapter 6 when God calls Gideon to deliver His people from the oppression of the Midianites? An angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon calling on him to “…deliver Israel from the hand of Midian.” In one of the most noted negotiations in Old Testament history, Gideon asked not once, but three times for God to ‘show me (him) a sign.’ (Read Judges 6:17, 18 & 36-40 to learn about the offering, the dry fleece on wet ground and dew-soaked fleece on dry ground.) When we read God’s word, we often find that we really haven’t changed much from Gideon’s day. For example, when was the last time you asked God for a sign to confirm His authority? Maybe you said something like…
“Lord, if you will __________________, then I will _____________________.”
And though it’s true God works in ways we cannot see, we have to realize we are not in negotiations with God. It’s simply not how God operates today. At the same time that certainly does not mean we should stop seeking His guidance in all that we do. Christ’s own words in Matthew 7 tell us to, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you…”
Recently I came across the backdrop of one of our older ‘spiritual songs,’ by Dottie Rambo. Written in the mid-1960’s, Dottie shares her personal story behind the writing of this song…
“At the time I wrote this song, we were living in Kentucky just getting started in the music ministry. I was holding down a job and singing on the weekends. I received a call from John T. Benson. We called him ‘Pop.’ He called about having me sign a writer’s contract and about having our family sing for him. We didn’t know about contracts or what to do about such things. Since it was only a hundred miles from Nashville, my family and I drove to see Pop Benson.”
“As we traveled I prayed: ‘Lord, we don’t know anything about contracts, so You will have to lead us. If we are to sign the contract, let it read so many hundred dollars and thirteen cents. If You’ll just let thirteen cents be the last numbers on the contract, then I’ll know that we are supposed to sign it.’ I told NO ONE about my prayer.”
To see what song was born from this experience, next week we’ll conclude Dottie Rambo’s story and see how (if) God answered her prayer and provided her with… “thirteen cents.”
A contract that reads: $_____.13 
remember, and haven’t thank You for, but You know me – I’m human and I forget. But when You do good things, just roll back the curtain and remind me of them and I’ll thank You for them!’ “
we don’t open the Book often enough to learn those lessons. For example, do you remember Judges chapter 6 when God calls Gideon to deliver His people from the oppression of the Midianites? An angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon calling on him to “…deliver Israel from the hand of Midian.” In one of the most noted negotiations in Old Testament history, Gideon asked not once, but three times for God to ‘show me (him) a sign.’ (Read Judges 6:17, 18 & 36-40 to learn about the offering, the dry fleece on wet ground and dew-soaked fleece on dry ground.) When we read God’s word, we often find that we really haven’t changed much from Gideon’s day. For example, when was the last time you asked God for a sign to confirm His authority? Maybe you said something like…
music ministry. I was holding down a job and singing on the weekends. I received a call from John T. Benson. We called him ‘Pop.’ He called about having me sign a writer’s contract and about having our family sing for him. We didn’t know about contracts or what to do about such things. Since it was only a hundred miles from Nashville, my family and I drove to see Pop Benson.”