The Craft Fair was cancelled.
On Saturday, my sister, Lesilee, and I loaded up the car with massive amounts of jarred goods, craft items, a donation bin and hopeful hearts. We were ready to sell. The items had been prayed over, fancied up and ready for the purchasing.
As we pulled up to the venue, we noticed the parking lot was a bit flooded, but it didn’t seem too unordinary considering the rain storm that had hit the valley that night.
I went into the Craft Fair’s shop and was told the sad news…the Fair had been cancelled due to the rain and the flooded parking lot.
In order to understand all that this particular fair had riding on it, you’d have to understand that I have done lots of fundraisers. Like a ton. And who do we fundraise to? Those in our community, right? This would seems normal, only my whole community is my church family. I work next door to my church, I go to my church, my friends are at my church, my family is at my church…and so on.
My home church is wonderful! They have supported me, supported me and then supported me some more. Like the Widow and her generous heart that Jesus talked about, my church has given more than they should have ever been able to and yet they still continue to support me. If ever there were a body of believers who have shown how much they love me through support, my church, Amadeo, has done that!
As you can imagine, I have been trying my hardest to no longer fundraise from my church. Many people suggest that raising funds is best done through the use of monthly supporters, but this is quite difficult when the majority of the people you know are from your amazing and generous church.
So before I get back to my Craft Fair story(I promise I’ll get back to that :))I just want to give a shout out to said church and say, “Amadeo, you are wonderful! Thank you for all the ways that you’ve blessed me! And thank you to those of you who have gone above and beyond by committing to give monthly! This ministry wouldn’t be possible without your generosity.”
Okay, back to the Fair! This Craft Fair was two towns away from where I live. This Fair was going to inform random strangers about where God was leading me. This Fair could have been a great witnessing tool. This Fair was going to be a non-church fundraiser. This Fair was supposed to be awesome!
What happened?
Essentially, God said no.
I could have blamed it on the weather. I could have blamed the day. But as I walked back to the car, jammed full with goods to sell, I asked God what I was to do. He told me that He was saying “no” to this Fair.
For whatever reason, I didn’t need to sell at this Fair. That day, as my eyes scanned the flooded parking lot with ducks paddling through it, I was hit with a lot of indescribable peace. Kind of like the type that surpasses all understanding.
God was telling me, in that moment, that I had done nearly everything that I could to raise this money and now He was wanting me to let Him take over.
God wasn’t saying no because He felt like it. God was saying no because He knows what’s best. So, that day, with a flooded parking lot, a full car and no place to sell our goods, I handed the rest of these fundraisers over to God.
Do I know how $16,267 is going to enter my account by September?
Nope.
Do I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God will provide the money in the way I am expecting?
Nope.
I do, however, believe that God has called me to GO.
So while I have no proof that God will provide, I have faith that He who called me will make a way.
I also know that my God is Faithful.
My God is the God who provides.
As always, I can’t end a post without asking…might God be stirring you to sow into my ministry of the World Race? All gifts are tax deductible and any gift will literally make me jump up and down and squeal(seriously, I clap and squeal every. single. time.).
Simply click the ‘Support Me’ tab up in the right hand corner and then enter your gift amount.
Also, dear readers, you should know that I love you and pray for you. Thank you for investing time in me and the call God has given me.
