Back in November, as our family was considering a significant change, we heard a speaker by the name of Eileen Mestas talk about God's amazing goodness in the life of their family (http://jobsdaughters.blogspot.com/). I was so struck by her faith and reliance on God. In her obedience and trust, God has provided for their every need. I found myself in tears throughout most of her story, and hungered for stories just like hers, those moments when God clearly steps in to provide.
Well, in part due to her testimony, our family did step out in faith. And since that time, I have been brought to my knees in tears as I watch God provide for us in much the same way. I know that we are not supposed to talk about finances, but I have been so blessed by the stories of others when God steps in to fill physical needs, and we have been so blessed by God, we can't keep silent.
After a very large van repair bill (a very large van often needs very large repairs, but this was over the top), I found myself in a place of laying that bill down and asking God to take care of it. We weren't in dire straits, but it was definitely an unexpected expense. Amazingly, within a short amount of time, we were able to see the blessings pour in; and God's hand behind all of it.
We performed a concert where we did not charge but a gift from those in attendance equalled more than three times the amount we would normally have charged. Soon after, John received two gifts from people, expressing their thankfulness for his influence in their lives. Then one of our music instructors surprised us with the announcement that because she appreciates what our family stands for, she is not going to charge us for all of the children who take lessons from her. Yesterday, once again, we were humbled by the generosity of others. We played a concert that again was given free-of-charge. The event sponsors surprised us with a gift card large enough to feed our entire family (that's saying a lot!) at one of our favorite restaurants. At the end of the meal, the manager came over to John and was clearly confused as she tried to explain to him that a portion of our meal had been paid by someone in the restaurant. I have replayed this over and over in my mind, realizing that this surprise gift not only blessed us, but spoke volumes to the restaurant manager and to the waiter who had served us that evening.
Donald Miller, in his book, The Hole in our Gospel, says, "The most often repeated commandment in the Bible is, 'Do not fear'…That means a couple of things, if you think about it. It means we are going to be afraid, and it means we shouldn’t let fear boss us around.
We are learning that when we act in faith, and take a risk, God is still good. We don't need to be afraid. He will reveal Himself to us in miraculous ways. It will knock your socks off. It is for us.
God is good.
All the time.
All the time.
God is good.
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