He is so faithful.
It is ridiculous, really. I was journalling just a few days ago about how frantic I was getting about my finances. I was just write-ranting to Jehova Jireh, telling Him how worried I was getting. I was reminded Him that of course I trusted Him to provide, what with that being His character and all, but that He was really freaking me out the way he was making it take so stinking long. I reminded Him, since obviously God had forgotten, what my timetable looked like.
“God,” I said bluntly, “you are forgetting. You forgot that I have been fundraising for ten months. You forgot that in January I have to have $7,500. And, in case you forgot this too: it took me ten months to raise $3700. Now I only have three-ish months to raise the remaining $3800. I thought you promised to provide. Did you forget that too? And since you’re not paying attention, let me just inform you that I only have 1 monthly supporter. I will never make it the full 11 months with only 1 monthly supporter!”
–Please realize, church family, that I am being honest, not spiritual. I promise to be honest with you guys, but I have made no claims of being anymore spiritual than I really am. So forgive me if God and I chat in a way that you find offensive, trite or silly.–
So, I explain to God all the stuff he had forgotten about, and since I wasn’t really feeling much better, I talked to a friend of mine who is blessed with the Spiritual Gift of encouragement.
I’ll be honest, I don’t really remember what she said (sorry Andie), but the Spirit used her to minister some serious peace to me.
Even with a renewed peace, I still knew I had to put in my work out in the field, sowing and watering, if there was going to be a harvest, so I committed to send out 100 support letters–A task that took about three days to accomplish–and I started crunching some numbers. Now before I tell you about the numbers, which I still believe are important, lets all laugh at me a bit, and enjoy the humor of Jehova Jireh, the God that provides.
After I got home from sending out all my letters, I checked my Support Account and was beyond encouraged to see that He had provided. Through you faithful children of God, in two days, my support account went from $3717.03 to $4288.05. God laughed at all the silly stuff I told Him, and reminded me that He is the God who provides, and that he bends for no man’s time schedule.
That being said, the number crunching is still important because I think it lets you as potential supporters and members of the Church Body know how easily we can share the financial burden of sending missionaries to the Nations.
I have $4,228.03 in my support account at this exact moment (11:56:30 AM on 10.25.13, for the sake of specificity). I have all of November and December to raise that number to $7,500.00. Which means that $3211.97 has to come in during those two months, or else I do not launch.
If I were to have about 30 people commit to faithfully give $50 per month, I would just about reach the Launch goal. 30 people? That is to easy for God–especially when I sent out 100 letters, and I have a few more than 30 people subscribed to this blog. He can do that easily.
Then, If those 30 people continued to faithfully give, I would still need a bit more help to reach my next deadline ($12,000 in March), but I think God would enjoy the Challenge.
My final goal of having all $16,228.00 by July would be completely feasible then.
But in order to go and do what God is calling me to do, I must make the journey of fundraising. And it is your journey, too. This is our shared journey, church–our shared adventure with the God who loves to blow our minds and romance our hearts. Just as I am learning a new reliance and a new trust, He is asking if you will rely on His provision. Will you trust Him?
He is calling people to the nations and he is ready to revive the Earth with new life breath, but His people cannot Go if His people do not Give.
Be on the lookout for a few upcoming blogs about the Divine appointment on my flight back from training camp, false accusations and wrongful trials, and staring into the sun. They will be good. I promise.
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Thanks!
