Years ago, in 1985 we took a giant step of faith that would lead to more steps as we journeyed on with the Lord.
My husband had a great job with Trans World Airlines, TWA, remember them? He had 20 years invested when God begin to work on his heart about being full time in ministry. For those 20 years we trusted TWA to pay his wages when he put in his hours loading cargo and suitcase on planes. So going into ministry and trusting the local church where we went on staff to supply our needs was different. My fears were at their height during those early years.
Learning to trust the Lord is a daily spiritual mental exercise of faith.
After that big step God was not through offering us other ways to grow our faith. One day we were getting our car worked on and as we waited, my husband said, honey, I think God wants us to go into over seas mission. I can't say I was surprised, I knew a change was coming our way, God was preparing my heart as only the God of the universe can do.
We had several years of trusting the Lord for our needs as we ministered at a local church in Kentucky I learned to trust for giving to a missionary when I supported one for five dollars a month and God supplied it every time. Sometimes it was from babysitting, sometimes a rebate in the mail, sometimes I would have money left over from my budget for grocery or a birthday gift. It became exciting to wait and see how God would supply. Each time I raise the amount another step of faith.
Being on the receiving end is scary, humbling and exciting and a much wider step. So our faith grew deep and wide.
That song Deep and Wide just popped into my head as I type that, there's a fountain flowing deep and wide. God's fountain is the deepest and the widest, much more then TWA's. God never goes out of business, He is always on the throne and never says, don't bring your prayers of need to me.
Let me relay a story I just told someone today. We ended our training with the mission school owing 8 hundred dollars. After graduation we left the school for our home church in Ky. with a promise to stop by a friends church that Sunday. He wanted us to meet his pastor and maybe get a chance to share our hearts. The pastor gave my husband 5 minutes from the pulpit to share. Our friends church put us up in a hotel and our friend pass on an envelope from the church when he dropped us off at the hotel. It had 8 hundred dollars in it. OUR FRIEND DID NOT KNOW WE OWE MONEY TO THE SCHOOL. We had told no body except our two children when we prayed for that debt before leaving the school.
What a start to learning how deep and wide God wanted our trust to become. We have served in two countries, Bolivia, South America and Papua New Guinea and not once have we done without our needs. Food has always been on our table, shoes on our feet, clothes on our back. We have always had a car to drive, a bed to sleep in, money to fly home when needed. And money to help others when needed. After years of trusting Him, I think I can trust Him for the rest of our years.
- So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
- –Matthew 6:31-33
- Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. –1 Timothy 6:17
I've seen God things like that over and over in my walk with Him. When Jo and I had very little we stayed faithful in giving to Him and trying to help others. We never lacked. We once drove home from Cincinnati after being at a camp conference to the town we lived in-about a 3-4 drive-and the gas gauge never moved. I had no money for gas after buying the girls some breakfast. We got home and needed groceries. In the mailbox we a check for $75 for when I spoke at a church breakfast in December. This was July. Yeah, God does provide. I love hearing stories like yours Betty.
ReplyDeleteThat happened to us once too, gas lasted much longer then it should have. The very cabin we live in is provided by others, our daughter and her husband. They chose to borrow to remolded it for us instead of getting them a bigger place, they live in a single wide trailer. It's over whelming at times His faithfulness and those He uses to show it through. And I love hearing stories like yours Bill.
DeleteOh yes! God has provided for us in so many ways through the years when we were in the ministry and going to Seminary. He showed us the miraculous ways He could provide as well as the more mundane ways, like providing much needed work to give us income just when we needed it most. Our God is faithful to provide for His children when we step out in faith, trusting Him and believing in Him for all our needs. I love your story...it is God's Story of love. Thank you for sharing it with us. Hope you are feeling better now.
ReplyDeletePam, I am doing much better, my bp is under control. I do have a blockage in my artery to my kidney which they found today through a scan. But at this time they are going to let it be since I am doing so well. So my right kidney is not functing, left one 30 percent. As with our monetary needs, my physical needs are being supplied by good doctors and good meds.
DeleteSuch inspiring stories you've shared here, Betty! Yes, when we trust fully in God, He will surprise us and provide for us in ways we never thought possible. Reading your experiences brought back memories of how God provided for me and my children in so many ways as I struggled as a single mom. Thanks for reminding us Who is large and in charge!
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
I love being able to share these stories in confidence that those who hear or read get a glimpse of God through us.
DeleteThank you, Betty, for recalibrating us and reminding us what matters most and what deep faith looks like. And this is so profoundly true --> 'God never goes out of business, He is always on the throne and never says, don't bring your prayers of need to me.'
ReplyDeleteBless you!
I am banking on God faithfulness to His promises.
DeleteOh, my wise-hearted friend, I love your missionary-related stories. When my daughter, Alece, was 18 and decided to go to South Africa as a Missionary, our church "promised" to send her out and support her as their Missionary. Three days before her departure, the pastor claimed he never said that. In the midst of this crisis, she decided to go anyway and trust The LORD. And like you, she never lacked for anything. God supplied every single need she had for 13 years. She dared to trust Him and He never let her down. Thank You, Betty, for reminding me of the faithfulness of our God.
ReplyDeleteA director of another large mission organization told us he would give us one strike because of our age we were going, we were in our late 40's. Then he gave us one more strike for the age our children would be by the time we got overseas I( teens). Then he gave us a 1/2 strike for the mission board we were going with. by this time I am mad and about ready to cry so I excused myself. Later Ace said to me, we will just give ourselves that other 1/2 strike and strike out so if we made it it would be nothing of ourselves and all of God. We stand on the other side of that discouragement and can gladly say it was good to strike out. I applaud your daughter for her determination to go on anyway. Thank you my friend for being part of our journey with you prayers and support.
DeleteThanks for visiting my post today and leaving a message! God is so good!! Blessings to you! xo
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