It is totally cool how God brings so many things together to point us in the right direction sometimes! A week ago this past Sunday in our morning Women's class, we finished the last chapter of our study "Renewing the Heart for Women". The chapter was on suffering. Yesterday we began our new study called "Seeking Him" and it was about revival in our hearts and reminded us that when our lives are "shaken up", we turn to God and rely on Him for His provision and His ultimate will in our lives. And then to top it all off, in our weekly Bible Study on Jonah, this week we've studied the steps of reconciliation with God so that we can have uninterrupted fellowship with Him. WOW!!!!
Last year my husband and I began the journey of trying to lower our debt. It was really hard. We had to make the decision to put things off in order to use money to pay off debt. But this year, we were thinking our heads were above water, not enough to float gracefully, but atleast we weren't sinking!! I had plans of beginning some rennovations to our home that I've been wanting ever since we moved in 6 years ago. Our house is older and outdated and I have really been looking forward to getting some modern updates!!! Then, our church starts a Legacy campaign that includes a much needed addition to our existing building. The elders have prayed about this for some time and are convinced this is the route that God has for us to take. I agree. God is supplying the people and is telling us to step out in faith as we begin to prepare a place for His people! Okay, God. I hear you..furthering your Kingdom is much more important than me having a bigger kitchen with updated appliances. So, I began to think about things that I could do away with to stretch my budget more. I signed up to be a "pacesetter", one of the many members of our church who will make a three year committment to give to the campaign. I had, nor do I have now, an amount of any kind that automatically popped into my mind. I just felt God nudging me to take this step and He would lead the way. I was pumped; God and I were starting a new adventure!! This was on Sunday; the following Friday I had a wreck and totalled my car. Now, let me interject here that I have been driving for 26+ years and I have had one small fender bender when I was in 12th grade. So, I'm driving home from work in rush hour traffic and the next thing I know my little Scion XA and me are sandwiched betweeen two cars!! God's angels were all around me that afternoon. Not just in the car with me, but surrounding the outside of it as well. I never got scared; I never really paniced. The only thing I got upset about was that my husband, who's a firefighter, was at work and I could not reach him on his cell phone. I had no idea what to do - I didn't know what number to call, if I should move my car (which I found out later I couldn't have done if I chose to!). I had so many questions, and I couldn't talk to Ernie to get answers to any of them; so I did become a little aggrevated after the 12th or so try! But I didn't cry and become an emotional basket case (which would normally be the case!) I got out of my car and accessed the damages. Of course my front and back bumpers were both pretty messed up. I think maybe one of my tail lights were busted out - but my hatch wasn't in the back seat like I had envisioned it would be!! "Okay, it's a slight interruption to my evening, but no big deal". I called my son, Caleb, to tell him I'd been in a little wreck, but that I would be home within the next 45 minutes to an hour. You can imagine my surprise when the sweet policman stuck his head in my car to ask me if I had a particular towing company I wanted to use! "Towing - why would I want you to tow my car???" to which he kindly responded, "Maam, your bumper is sitting on your back tire; your car is not driveable." Of course, I'm still in control of this situation, so I suggest we just take the bumper off and throw it in the backseat. He wouldn't go for it. I'd need to get someone to come and pick me up. "Okay, now this is starting to get on my nerves. I've been sitting in the center lane of I-240 for an hour and a half with rude and insensitive drivers storming by me, giving me all kinds of hand signs and snarls. My husband, who I can't even get in touch with is at work, and I've got to find someone to come and pick me up." So, I called the first friend that came to mind, Anne. I know she came to my mind first because of the person she is and the wonderful personality she has. Anne is one of those people that when you have a problem, she finds her way around it. She's not easily pushed down - and if she is, she refuses to stay there! So I called Anne because I needed someone to come to my rescue and to face this with me....and she came, she and her dear husband Glen, who had been out of the country for a month and had just got back into town that day were enjoying a peaceful evening at a restaurant (at least until I called!) They hurriedly left and drove to the north side of the interstate to rescue me and ALL my stuff out of my little car! So I got home and spent another hour on the phone with my insurance company. Finally around 9:00 pm I sat down on my couch to relax. I went the next day and got a rental car, totally expecting to have my car repaired and back to me in no more than two weeks. Well, a week later I got the news that the insurance company was totalling my car....okay, this wasn't an interruption - this was a BRICK WALL. My car was paid for. I have not had a car payment in almost two years. I had been using that money to pay extra on other debt to get it knocked out. I didn't want another car payment!!! "Now what, God? How am I supposed to be a pacesetter and all the sudden have this added debt?" I was really upset for a couple of days and then I began working on these bible studies for the week. Wow, thank you God! I don't know what God is going to show me from all this. I know He's teaching me to hold on to my money a little less tightly and allow Him to orchestrate how it's to be spent. I have to say that this is one of the harder things for me to do. But as He says, my ways are not His ways and my plans are not always HIS PLANS - but He holds my future and He holds my today, and that's all I need to worry about. I know it's not going to make sense; I know it's not going to add up on paper; but I do know that God is faithful and if I am sincere in my desire to contribute to this campaign, He is going to allow me to do that...as long as I'm willing to let go of the grasp I think I have on my money!!!
"Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and reigns righteousness on you." Hosea 10:12
