When God first told us to go out to do the
job that He had called us to, He told us 2 things; 1-If we were faithful to take, what He gave us, to the nations, He would
take care of our backyard-our home territory. 2-If we were faithful to put His call first in our lives, He would provide for
our every need.
He has been absolutely faithful to His promises. In all the
years that we have been out on the road,(since 1995) we have taken more than 100 trips and more than 75 of them
we flew through the air all over this country and to the nations.We have been able to remain on the same piece of property
in 2 different houses and have always been able to get where we've needed to go whether we had a car, 2 cars or
no car. We've been able to homeschool our son through a private Christian school and to pay our bills and to put food on the
table, and on the tables of others.
Others have given money for our needs, to pass on to
others and to use for our trips. We've been given cars and the money to get cars. We've given cars away. We've been given
bicycles and the money to buy bicycles and also given them away.We've been able to take what we didn't have to give to others and
it has multiplied in our hands. We've been given free trips both by air and by car. We've been given free rooms, both in private
homes and in hotels.We've been fed abundantly and greatly blessed by others. We've been given refrigeratorS(plural),and given
them away, a freezer, a washer and dryer a stove, and given one away, microwaves and most of the furniture in our home.
We've been given clothing, housewares/linen, jewelry,other fine gifts and food.
But one of my favorite ways that God has blessed us is when
money appears in our home that wasn't there before, or He does this widow of Zarapath(1Kings 17:8-16; "..... The bowl of flour
was not exhausted nor did the jar of oil become empty.....") thing with our finances where there just isn't enough to
cover the need and yet the need, ALL of the needs are met and often there is something left over. He just does this stretchy
thing with our finances. He takes the little that is there and somehow He manages to stretch it around the entire need and
takes care of it. Or He shows us an alternate unexpected/unorthodox route to taking care our needs.
Every year when I do the taxes, I'm just amazed at how much
we have spent on the trips and yet we have managed to do every one of them and still take care of our household needs. It
just doesn't seem that much at the time, and there is always the money or the provision to do everything that really needs
to be done, not according to others' standards but according to God's instructions. Which are always accurate.
When God calls, He ALWAYS provides NOT as we would like or
understand but as He wills.
We have learned to find alternate routes to get the things
we need. In our area we have a lot of dollar shopping opportunities. So, before a trip, or for the orphange that we help to
support, we do a lot of dollar shopping for really nice gifts. In areas where there isn't a lot of dollar shopping, we've
learned to buy multiple packed items in really nice stores, which when split up ends up being very NICE dollar shopping. Seasonal
shopping and sales also offer great bargains.The world is my mall. I buy gifts everywhere I go and carry gifts whereever I
go, to give away. I take to them what they can't get there and I bring home what I can't get here.My shopping list usually
has nearly 100 people on it,plus the orphanage.
I used to say that I knew that God was going to provide but
I didn't know how. Then He showed me how I was misspeaking. He showed me that He provides by His grace. So now I am learning
to say that I know how He is going to provide, that He is going to provide by His grace
It's really simple.
If God has shown it to you, then He has already provided for
it. It's our job to look around, ask questions, and seek the direction that we are to go in and to obey it. Which is the essence
of faith. Hebrews 11;
Luke 7:7-9 ".....but just say the word and my servant
will be healed.For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one,'Go,'and
he goes, and to another.'Come!' and he comes..... when Jesus heard this, He marveled.....and said to the crowd......I
say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.' " . 2 Corinthians 5:7 "for we walk by faith,
not by sight."
