God Doesn't Work in Our Time Zone

It's always good to reassess the purpose of the blog....is it just a blog about money and debt or is there a greater purpose?  I have to remind myself and anyone who reads this that it is definitely has more than one purpose otherwise there is no point in me being so transparent about our financial situation.  In fact, I should really stop writing if there isn't a greater purpose. 

I want to keep a record of the way the Lord has redeemed us and continues to redeem us on a daily basis.  The Bible says we are to shout out how He has rescued us from the mountain tops!  I want to write this record for myself (as I know I'll forget all the little stories) as well as for my children and their children to come.  I am definitely taking risks by writing about our financial situation and sometimes it is hard to know if I should include the details that I do.  Yet, there are so many miracles along the way, it is hard to not write about them all!

I remember when I was first thinking about doing this blog.  It occurred to me that I could wait until all the debt was gone and then I could write a story about how it all happened, but then I thought, no, it would be way more meaningful if I included the whole journey, as well as all the ups and downs.  I don't even know if there is an end to my story.  Anyway, I'm sharing once again, some amazing stories that happened knowing there is a risk, but I pray God can show the reader how HE is the Redeemer and that it isn't a story about our family as much as it is a story about HIM. There, that's the purpose of the blog.

Last week was a pretty tight week. We knew some bills were coming in, but the money we were expecting would be coming later.  This was definitely a problem.  Oh well, I thought to myself, we'll pray for a miracle with the kids this morning (on the Friday) and then Stephanie is coming over to pray, I'm sure God will work a miracle!  So, the kids and I sat and prayed that morning.  One of the kids specifically prayed that a certain farmer that owed us some money would come by.  I had forgotten about that fact, but it seemed so far-fetched because he had owed us money for weeks if not months and we hadn't seen or heard from him all summer.  I had asked RM to go and see him many times, but he just hadn't felt right about just showing up on his property.

The whole day went by.  I was watching the clock.  I knew if a miracle was going to happen, it would need to be before 5 pm during business hours.  By 5:20 or so, RM had come in for dinner and I asked him, "So, any miracles today?"  "No."  I was a little shocked!  God hadn't come through!  Or so it seemed.  I wasn't too upset, I figured there was still another lesson we were supposed to be learning, but then all of a sudden the phone rang.  "Oh!  I've got to take this....."  It was one of the people who owed him money, calling to say they would be giving him early payment!  This was a definite miracle - I couldn't figure out why they were calling after 5 on a Friday, but then RM told me they were out in B.C. on a different time zone!  I loved it - God doesn't work in our time zones!  He can manufacture a miracle even if it appears to me in my limited thinking that time was up.

We were glad to know we'd be receiving a cheque this week, but we still needed money in the meantime as we didn't know exactly when that cheque would arrive.

I headed off to do my last seminar and brought all sorts of crafts with me that we had made back in June.  The ladies who came ended up buying quite a few books and a couple of crafts as well, so I came back with a few extra unexpected dollars.

When I got home, RM said, "You'll never believe who came by today....."  Yup, the farmer who owed us.  I couldn't believe it.  He just drove in with a cheque with no warning, no call from us, totally out of the blue.

When we added up what I had made and what the farmer had paid us, we knew we would be completely fine until the other cheque came in.  But then....another test....Sunday morning....

RM knew if he tithed that week, we'd be short again.  So funny....just when you think you've got all your ducks in a line.  He admitted to me that at first it occurred to him to make sure he had all his bills covered and then whatever was left over he'd write a cheque for that.  But then, he caught himself and realized that would be giving God the leftovers.  He'd taken care of everything so far, why wouldn't He take care of us again, so RM wrote a cheque first, knowing He'd be leaving us short, at least in our minds.

That morning, the pastor spoke on giving and how God does not want us to give Him our leftovers.  If we give in that manner, than it's better not to give.  What a confirmation for RM!  He was so grateful he had written that cheque before hearing the sermon.  I think his conscience would have driven him crazy otherwise.  We leave the rest up to God, knowing He knows if we are "short".

So, we are continuing to be a true testimony to God's creative ways of providing for His people.  We are learning that God does not live in our time zone, that He can prompt people to pay us without us having to say anything and that even when we think we are out of the hot water, He still wants us to trust Him and He makes sure we stay in dependence on Him.  Whew...more risk, more vulnerability, but I think I know we aren't the only ones going through tests like these.

This week will be a busy one around here.....A couple of weeks ago I saw a sign for a craft fair.  We still have a few things we made in the summer, so I signed us up for a 3 day show this weekend.  We won't be able to do all 3 days, but we are excited to try selling a few of the things we made over the course of the weekend.  RM is going to try to teach the boys another stained glass pattern for Christmas and the girls and I are going to do some more sewing and baking.  It should make for a very busy weekend as they are also quizzing on the whole book of Galatians this weekend, but it's all fun and the kids are excited.  We even did some decorating this weekend, the earliest I've ever done it, to help get us in the spirit of Christmas crafts!

Living in dependence on God is absolutely the best way to live - it really feels more like we are on an adventure, less and less like a test.  I actually find the life of faith fun!  Full of excitement!  Always wondering what God is going to do.  Ok, ok....I do still have my moments for sure.  My flesh tells me "This is too hard!"  But, when I do get a heavenly perspective, then it does become so much easier to walk this faith walk.....