The Check’s in the Mail!
There was a season early in our marriage when Tammy and I were walking through what felt like a financial storm. Bills piled up, unexpected expenses kept surfacing, and no matter how hard we worked, it felt like we were always behind. To be honest, we both believed we were under a spiritual attack. It wasn’t just about dollars and cents—it was a pressure that weighed heavy on our hearts, our marriage, and even our faith.
One particular morning, I was praying desperately, asking God for help. In the middle of that prayer, I sensed something so strong in my spirit it stopped me cold: The answer is in the mailbox.
Now, I’ll admit—I’ve always chuckled at people who say, “The check is in the mail.” It sounded like wishful thinking. But this impression from God was different. It was too clear, too direct, to ignore. So, with faith rising in my chest, I headed out the door and walked down our quarter-mile driveway toward the mailbox. I opened it with expectation in my heart… only to nearly pass out when I saw what was inside: a letter from the IRS.
Not a check. Not a gift. Not a miracle.
An IRS audit notice.
The letter said I owed between $10,000–$12,000. My stomach sank. That amount might as well have been a million dollars.
I called the number, scheduled the appointment, and gathered every piece of paperwork I could find. When I sat down in that stark office a few weeks later, I was nervous but determined. The auditor disappeared with my file and returned an hour later. He explained that my accountant had mistakenly double-filed some forms, making it appear that I had earned twice as much as I’d reported.
He smiled and said, “Well, looks like you don’t owe us anything after all. We’re even.”
Relief flooded over me. But even as he left the room to fetch the final paperwork, something inside of me stirred. I remembered my prayer. I remembered what God had whispered: The answer is in the mailbox. And I thought, God, I don’t get it. The only thing in that mailbox was an audit letter. What am I missing?
That’s when my eyes fell on an envelope of receipts I had brought with me. My accountant had previously told me they weren’t deductible, but in my heart, I believed they were legitimate business expenses. When the auditor returned, I took a breath and said, “Sir, there’s one more thing.”
For the next two hours, we went back and forth. He grilled me with questions. I explained my business operations. He left several times to confer with his supervisor. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he came back with a different look on his face.
“Turns out,” he said slowly, “these are deductible after all.”
When I walked out of that office, I wasn’t carrying a tax bill—I was carrying a slip of paper that said my taxes were under further review. A couple months later, that review turned into a miracle: a check from the IRS for a little over $10,000.00
The very thing that had first terrified me turned out to be the very instrument God used to bring us through.
Isaiah 30:21 says, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.”
That’s exactly what happened. God was speaking—not with a booming voice from heaven, but through His Spirit, the still small voice inside that kept nudging me: Don’t stop here. Keep asking. Keep seeking. Don’t leave the office until you’ve pressed through.
Here’s the truth I walked away with that day: God is always speaking. The question isn’t, Is God speaking? The question is, Are we listening? And if we are listening, will we obey?
It would have been so easy to walk out of that office after hearing, “You don’t owe us anything.” That alone felt like a victory. But God had more in store. He wasn’t done. The miracle was waiting in the mail all along—it just didn’t look the way I expected it to.
And isn’t that so often the way God works? What feels like a setback, an audit, or even a crisis may just be the pathway to the very miracle we’ve been praying for.