HOMESTEADING â—½ HOME
This month has been the month of travel!
As mentioned before, some friends offered to take us on a ten day trip to Costa Rica! Then as soon as we got back we had about ten days to work, clean and pack up again for a baseball trip to Florida for another week. Brian and I were going as chaperones, so we would be busy all week cooking, cleaning, and driving kids all over the place.
As I sit writing this on the sandy beach area overlooking a beautiful lake, “chaperoning” while kids are kayaking, I can’t help but think how blessed we are. I haven’t had much time to even think about the overwhelming bills and how will we pay those. I literally have been so focused on others and how can I serve them well that my mind has not been able to wander. This reminds me of the first two commandments to love God and to love others. Matthew 22:37.
“Seek first the kingdom of God and all the things shall be added up to you.” Matthew 6:33.
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
So why do we worry? There’s so many verses in the Bible that tell us not to worry! He will provide and take care of us. Easier said than done, I know.
A friend got the call that her husband lost his job while she and the kids were on this baseball trip. She was so upset and all the thoughts came in! How will we survive, how will we keep this house, how will my kids meds get paid for, how will we eat, how will we pay for college? I get it! I was there and am still in it with all the questions. And through my trials, I was able to share my testimony and bible verse with her! It’s still hard and I don’t understand why, but I can love on her and share the gospel.
Right before we left for the Florida trip, I went to pay our house payment and I couldn’t find the paper bill. I went back to where I file paperwork and looked through, and I still couldn’t find it. I did find a statement from last month that was in black and white and not in color like usual, so it made me start to really look through that because it looked different. On the second page, I found a check that we had over paid our escrow by $1100! Just “random” money in the mail? Praise the Lord that he spoke to me to look through the statements! I would have never found that money. I couldn’t even believe it!
I truly believe the Lord supplied our needs in that moment. We had been on a trip and headed on another and we were missing so much work but lo, and behold! We were given completely unexpected money!
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19.
Our needs were met! And to top that off, in that same statement I found that they were lowering our monthly payment! I’m so grateful to God.
​
Sometimes we don’t get to understand why we go through the trials, and sometimes we do get to find out. But both are a part of God’s plan. Trust and obey and He will guide us.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James 1:2-4 NIV