Where to begin….
Trust is tricky.
Learning to follow God and believe that He knows what is best even when you cannot see the outcome can be scary.
For most of the month I felt fine. I was at peace, I believed that the money was on its way. People would ask me how i was feeling about the deadline coming. In all honesty I was fine. Worrying was not on my agenda.
BUT
The closer that the financial deadline approached, the more my trust began to falter. I kew in my heart that The Lord would provide, but my head would sometimes get in the way..I felt like I was stumbling, not sure why I wasn’t seeing provision–well, not sure why I wasn’t seeing the money come in, in the way that I wanted it to. I had painted a picture in my mind that wasn’t panning out. Two day’s before, I was a deer in headlights, stuck in my tracks as the deadline came screeching towards me.
Certain circumstances and seasons in life can have moments like these. It can be easy to stop dead in your tracks, gripped by fear, that maybe just maybe, you would be the one going home–you’d be the one that didn’t make it.
BUT with Jesus, you can move forward, continuing the race. And this journey is one that bring spiritual progress and growth.
There is an english proverb that says, “smooth seas never made for a skillful sailor”. I don’t believe that The Lord fills our lives with hardships, but I don’t believe that being a believer negates your life of hardships either. However, in the face of hardships, God can refine our lives through them making us wiser, stronger and more sure of His promises.
Rough seas and hard times—like a daunting financial deadline approaching–dont have to break us or define us. We are not defeated, we are already victorious. As we keep our eyes focused on The Lord, as we delight in Him, He can use those times to draw out the gold within us. Instead of times of trouble and hardships breaking us down, they can produce progress, endurance and trust within us.
Experiencing this miracle of God’s provision was a lesson in focusing my eyes on Jesus and allowing His strength the fill my weaknesses. As I felt helpless to do anything, I had to trust that He had the situation in control. I just had to keep on walking. Though my legs were wavering, He was giving me hinds-feet to negotiate my fears. He was showing me His goodness in new ways.
It was two days before my deadline and I still needed $1500.
HOW IN THE WORLD WOULD I RAISE THAT?
I was discouraged because it felt like had been so long since I had last seen a donation.
September 28th, my squad held an auction to raise money for those of us who had not yet reached our deadlines. There were things like reeses, zipock bags, tampons, and chic-fil-a sauce (commodities on the world race. They’re gold, people). It went so well and I felt so blessed to be a part of a squad that was so willing to help. Yet, I still didn’t know where the rest of the money was going to come from. As we returned home that night, we began to check our accounts. First person, second person…they had received anonymous donations, making their deadlines!!
Well, I thought to myself, I guess I will check too, even though nothing has appeared for days.
BOOM
Anonymous donation of $1500.
DEADLINE MADE
As the rest began to arrive home and check their accounts, EVERYONE who had yet to reach their deadline had received an anonymous donation (and sometimes others as well). Everyone had reached the $11000 goal and even surpassed it!
We didn’t even need to use the money that we had raised at the auction at all!!
Praise God!!
I had experienced God’s goodness in a miraculous way that night…
God didn’t let my feet falter. He provided. He strengthened me and grew me through the process, too.
So as encouragement to anyone who may be reading this and walking in a season of hardship, remember that God is strengthening you with hinds-feet, He is refining you. As you keep on walking with Him by your side, you WILL reach the summit of this season, you will see your miracle. A “pocketfuel” devotion that I read during this time says something that I LOVE:
“from the top of this hard trek that has been fraught with peril and danger, you will breathe in the fresh, cool air of His grace and peace, and your eyes will feast upon the wonder and possibilities of where you can walk tomorrow with God at your side.”
God is good.
ALWAYS GOOD.
I must to remember to start from that perspective.
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The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk not to stand still in terror, but to walk and make spiritual progress upon my high places of trouble, suffering, or responsibility! Hab 3:19 (Amp)
Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you. 1 Pet 15:7 (NLT)
I want to thank everyone for your prayers and support. They are such a blessing to me.
Thank you also to my anonymous donor, I cannot express how much your support means to me.
