Joe Camp was fired from his job as a preschool teacher in Charlotte, North Carolina, in September because of the coronavirus pandemic. He had worked there for 20 years. A month after that, his father died.
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Even though he seemed down on his luck and faith, he kept doing what he did every week. He bought a “Gold Rush” North Carolina Education Lottery ticket every Thursday. This time, he chose to buy two instead of just one.
The fired preschool teacher scratched off the first one later while he was getting gas. He didn’t win anything. The second one, though, he scratched off. Joe fell to his knees when he found out he had won the big prize. He was shocked, grateful, and humbled. He won $250,000 and later found out that, after taxes, he would get more than $178,000 in his pocket.
A surprise blessing for a preschool teacher who lost her job
Before he won, Joe Camp felt like he was lost in the dark.
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“It made me feel down. “But a lot of my friends and family just told me to keep going and to believe in myself,” he said.
“On Thursday morning, I went to the store like I usually do and bought two scratch-off tickets. “I didn’t win on the first one, so I tried the second one and scratched it off. I fell to my knees at the gas pump,” he said.
Joe was right to believe that God saw what he needed and did more than just give him what he wanted. God was better than them. Doesn’t that sound like our powerful God? And now Joe Camp is doing the same thing for his daughter and grandchildren. The preschool teacher who lost her job is giving them her money and safety. He says he wants to save money for his daughter’s college education and buy a new home that he can leave to his family.
“With the money I won, I want to give my daughter a good life,” he said. “I’d like to get us something. Nothing ever happened to me. No one has passed on anything, and I want to do that.” This is a truly moving story about giving back after getting something.
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“In fact, I will bless you a lot, and I will make your children as many as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the beach. Your children will own the gate of their enemies.” Genesis 22:17
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