He Provides: Guest Post

A sweet reader friend who wishes to remain anonymous sent me an email detailing how God provided for her family in a big way this Christmas season. I had tears in my eyes reading her story and would love to share it with you. I get so much encouragement hearing about how He has provided for others, in both big ways and small. It is a long read, but well worth it. So without further ado....

It goes back to this last spring when we were hit with a flood and lost our bedrooms downstairs. We never got it all back together and for the last eight months my kids have been sleeping on the floor, or scattered here and there; the baby has been in a pack 'n play.
 
This fall when I had my daughter's birthday party, my friend who had no idea how we were living saw the state of our lower level and basically couldn't hide her shock. She immediately had her husband install carpets for us (that's what he does for a living) and went on a mission to find us beds. We had lost them all in the flood and there was no money to replace them.  We spent as much as we could to replace all the walls and floors that had to be taken out. Anyway, she called me a day or two later and said she had a mattress for the baby. We were so thankful!

She said she was still working on the mattresses for our bed. I thought it was sweet, but seriously didn't think anything would come of it. Then she called with this news! She said that we were going to get a brand new mattress and box spring. She said that some friends who wanted to stay anonymous heard what was going on and wanted to help. We were overcome with joy! After almost nine months we would be able to get our house back in order and my kids in beds. It was a miracle.

Then she called back and told me she had another surprise for us. She said to just accept it as a gift from God. She then went on to say she really had nothing to do with it and that it  was something big! She said that as she was spreading the word about the mattresses she spoke to a friend and they spoke to someone and it was decided that we would be "adopted " by this group of people and their church as a family to help this Christmas!  I almost passed out with this news. We had NO MONEY!!! Nothing to buy gifts with this year! I mean not a penny!!! We just barely had enough for our mortgage and when I say penniless , I mean we were penniless.  She told me to have the kids write their Christmas lists and give them to her. Everything was taken care of. Even a ham for dinner! I know Christmas isn't about the gifts, but the thought of six kids with nothing under the tree on Christmas morning was breaking my heat.

Jesus in his endless mercy just took care of everything. And as usual, in the most unusual way!!! I swear He gets a kick out of surprising us in ways we never , ever imagine!

Then on Dec 23rd, I was sitting and praying. I was so thankful for everything that was done for us, but I had one problem. Every year we get the kids pajamas for Christmas, and they open them up on Christmas eve. Well, I forgot to add them to the kids' Christmas list and we didn't have extra money to spend on them.  It was really bothering me because I knew they would be disappointed.  I mean this was a small thing in comparison to what could have been.  But it still made me a little sad. As I was praying, the phone rang and it was our Pastor. He started to leave a message and I was a little nervous as to why he was calling us at home.

Get this!!! He said he had just finished the eight o'clock mass and a couple approached him. They said they wanted to help out a family this Christmas, and asked if he knew anyone. He said he thought of a few, us included. but then he told me that they said something a little strange. They said that God was telling them to help a family specifically in danger of losing their home! Our pastor is well aware of our plight and he said he couldn't believe what they said! He immediately decided we were the family!!!

When he asked them how much they wanted to give, they said 600.00! But not just once, 600.00  every month for ONE YEAR!!!!!!!!

I have been brought to my knees this year by the love and mercy that Jesus has for all of us. And if it weren't for all the excruciating hard times we went through and are still going through, my faith would be no where near as strong as it is now.  I will never get over this Christmas and the miracles that surrounded it.

Did you get goosebumps at the part where my reader friend says that the couple wants to give her family $600 every month for one year?? I know I did. Right along with the lump in my throat and the tears stinging the corners of my eyes. What a wonderful Christmas story!

Want to read about an awesome blog post that got people from all around the world giving to perfect strangers?? Here!

For more posts about how He provides, click here.

With a heart overflowing,

He Provides: Extravagant Love

It began about a month ago with a simple card in the mail. Bright yellow. A little inspiration. No signature. No return address. And it contained a significantly large Wal-Mart gift card. My children were in the car when I opened the mail and witnessed first-hand my reaction to this kindness. Could this person have known about all the little needs we had? About all the odds & ends that we had been going without? About too small pajamas for our littlest one? About some homeschooling necesseties? About Christmas gifts that my heart so desired to give? No, he or she couldn't have known.

But He knew.

Just a few days ago, another envelope arrived. It's the same handwriting, I thought. Maybe they sent a Christmas card and now I will know who bestowed that act of kindness on me! I tore into that envelope to find a typed story about the Invisible Mother. That encouragement was enough to find tears pricking the corners of my eyes. But upon looking further....another envelope. Bright yellow. A little more inspiration. This time with money. Not a twenty-dollar bill. A large sum of money. My hands started trembling. The tears overflowed. Could they possibly know? About how many repairs our car has needed in the last month? About the empty supply of firewood? About the small gifts I'd love to bestow upon others? No, they couldn't possibly.

But He does.

If my Secret Encourager is reading this somewhere out there....thank you. Please know that your generosity has reminded me about God's extravagant love for me. He doesn't just give, but gives abundantly. He doesn't just love a little, He loves me extravagantly. And when I think about giving this holiday season, know that your gifts have inspired me to give more than I think I can, to love without reserve, and to give the gift of myself whenever possible.

You can read more posts about how He has provided here.

The Great BIG Good News Post

As if my post the other day wasn't great news enough, there's more!

At the beginning of the month I celebrated my 32nd birthday. Birthdays are pretty special around our house and even more so now that we've really given deep thought to the privilege of having a birth day. One of my dearest friends from high school, along with her boyfriend, took us out to dinner. We found a babysitter on the spur of the moment and we were off to enjoy some hibachi-style cuisine. It was fabulous! (But catching up with an old friend was equally great!) 

"...a time to be born..."

That same weekend another of my bestest girls celebrated a birthday and I made some treats.

 

 

I also made some chocolate cupcakes with whipped chocolate ganache which tasted, if I do say so, really divine. But alas, I failed to get a picture of those. Since we're on the topic, should I start referring to myself as the Cupcake Queen? Cupcake Diva?

"...a time to embrace..."

And more.....

Four years ago my mom promised my oldest daughter a trip to Disney World when she turned eight. We never worked out what the exact details would be, who would go, etc. Well people, the time has come. Yesterday marked the start of a three-month countdown to our all-girls trip to Disney! If you do the math correctly, we will be leaving only 3 days after the date Olivia was born. I am sure I will be mournful around those days, but am praying that I will be able to have this special time of celebration as well.

"...a time to weep and a time to laugh..."

And still more....

Guess whose children must've turned on the outside water hose when they built a snowman back in December? And so guess whose water bill was about 3 times what it normally is for the month of January? And shortly after I received said bill, guess who received a spontaneous donation of money from a gal in my mom's small group which was just enough to cover the bill? Amazing, huh?!!!!

"...a time to gather stones together..."

And yet more....

Since I'm sure you're tired of guessing from that last paragraph, I won't make you guess anymore. The Husband received not one, but two great job offers last week. Two!! After two years of our little business struggling through, we have decided to accept a full-time job as an employee and continue to do small contractual jobs on the side. We are all sad to see Daddy leave our family as he heads back to work, but are happy for the respite that this steady income will provide. We know that God has His perfect timing and just feel so blessed that we have arrived at this point still clinging to His promises.

I don't think I'll ever forget the year that the Husband got a job for my birthday!

"...a time to weep and a time to dance..."

And now, my friends, I feel like dancing.

Feel free to do a little jig on my behalf!

He Provides: Undeserved

I was feeling desperate. Again. I was driving home from somewhere and crying out to God. Again. Where will the money come from now, Lord? Where? December was beautifully snowy, granting the Husband lots of work removing it. January was...nada. My finite mind reviewed all the possibilities, carefully calculating dollar amounts and potential sources.  Wasn't I just saying the day before that sometimes God has a plan, has an option that we've never even thought of yet? That He always provides. Silly, silly girl. I felt the movement in my Spirit urging me on and with five little letters He provided in an enormously unexpected way.

Taxes.

I expected something. But this? THIS was beyond my wildest expectations. And honestly, I felt like there must be some mistake because good things just don't happen to me.  

Anymore.  

I know, in my mind, that God is good. That He hasn't changed. But I think after living with struggle and then the pain of grief for so long, my heart began to wonder.

I feel so undeserving. Undeserving of outrageous kindness; of over-abundant provision. After much thought, I just keep coming back to the same notion. If I feel totally undeserving of His choice in abundant provision, how much more undeserving I am for the work He has done for me on the cross, for His immense love, for the hope I have in Him, for the riches of His grace.

Be blessed,

He Provides: Chinese Food

The Husband has a new seasonal job in the snow removal industry. Every time it snows, he will be out shoveling and salting walks. We are so thankful for this new opportunity that God has provided. I have been nervous and anxious to see how this position will pan out. We had our first BIG snow event last week and the Husband pretty much worked for 3 1/2 days straight. (50+ hours)! At the end of that time, I thought it would be nice to take the family out to a restaurant to reconnect and reward my hard-working Beloved for his endless hours of exhausting work. Sit-down restaurants are a luxury that we can no longer afford, so this definitely would be a treat. "The Voice" (aka The Holy Spirit) tells me that I should take us to a Chinese buffet in a nearby town. I even called ahead to see how much this meal would cost me. Twenty-five dollars for the five of us felt like a lot at the moment, but I really wanted to honor my Husband in this way. So, off we went!

Everyone found something tasty to enjoy. I relished watching my son inhale several servings of mozzarella cheese sticks, inches and inches of gooey cheese hanging from his mouth. All the kids enjoyed multiple servings of ice cream. After all, we were celebrating!! Towards the end of the meal, the natives were getting restless. Sebastian was screeching about something; Tatiana was wandering near the table; Sienna was antsy. I noticed a lady at a nearby table watching us and could feel the embarrassment heat my face. I was sure that we were being a nuisance to her quiet meal. As I stood to go pay our bill, this lady approached me.

"Excuse me, how much was your bill?"

*looking surprised* Thirty dollars.

"I have twenty-five dollars here  and my husband and I would like to pay your bill." [This the exact amount that I thought the bill would be based on my prior phone call.]

*gulp* Ok. Well....thank you. (I started crying at this point. I just couldn't believe this!)

"How about if I just take your bill and get the rest of the money for your check together? You just go along with your family and have a nice evening."

*choking out words* Thank you so much. Thank you so much! Have a....blessed holiday.

I was nearly dissolved into a puddle right there. As we left the restaurant, my kids just kept saying, "Mommy, why are you crying? WHY are you crying?" I tried to explain it to them, about how God provided for us through perfect strangers, but really, there are no words to do Him justice.

Even now, I sit here shaking my head in disbelief, tears welling in my eyes. I am so unworthy of His blessings.

And yet, He pours them out.

P.S. Feel free to share in the comments how He has provided for you lately!

He Provides: Thanksgiving

Enter His gates with Thanksgiving. 

-Ps. 100:4a

I keep telling myself that I really should chronicle all the unique ways that God has been providing for us lately. So, that's just what I'm gonna do. He keeps blessing my socks off more times than I can remember. I thought you'd like to come along for the ride. I'm gonna have to back track a little, just so that I can pay special attention to all the creative ways that God has "shown up" in our lives recently.

Our Thanksgiving Meal

We really didn't have any 'extra' money to spare, but we are committed to practicing hospitality (Rom. 12:13). A few weeks before Thanksgiving, we get a phone call from a friend's husband who has passed our name along to a gal at a church we used to attend. I call her and she asks if we would like a Thanksgiving turkey from the Food Pantry. (We never turn down food!) I gratefully tell her that we would love to accept this. When the day arrives for the Husband to pick up said turkey, he returns with not only a turkey but several boxes full of groceries to complement our meal. Yukon gold potatoes? Yep. Sweet potatoes? Uh-huh. Cranberry sauce? You betcha. Loaves of french bread? Yes! And canned vegetables and cake mix and muffin mix and oatmeal and cereal and stuffing. I tried to creatively plan our menu around what we received. The Husband went to donate plasma a few days before Thanksgiving (his second time that week) and got paid $30. He picked up our Thanksgiving groceries and several things for 'the house', which ended up totaling $31.20. 

An entire Thanksgiving meal. For our family, friends, and bunches of leftovers.

All for an out-of-pocket total of $1.20.

He provides, indeed.