Right now, I'm unemployed. The flesh part of me would love to sit here and worry about how the ends are going to be met, where will the groceries come from, the gas bill, the light bill, the lot rent, payment on Monkey Butt's medical bill, etc, etc...I could go on but all yall know what I'm talking about: the bills that are a part of life.
Yet I know without a shadow of a doubt (because there is no darkness in God) that He will work things out. My family has groceries now (matter of fact, we have so much I can hardly shut my cabinets). The bills are paid...and guess what? I have my second interview tomorrow. The place I have an interview with has flexible hours. Meaning I can go in as early as 6:30 AM and be off in time for the boys to trot off the school bus....meaning if one or both of my sons are sick, I can find someone to take them by one and go in and still get my eight hours. There are production bonuses involved too...all because of my insanely quick little fingers that GOD blessed me with!
Speaking of the groceries, I don't know if I blogged it or not but last summer this family of at least five (I counted seven at one time - but you never know...maybe it was company) lived two trailers down from us in a fifth wheel. Monkey Butt used to play with one of the little girls. She was on my porch crying one day when I came in from work because their fifth wheel did not have a locking door. Apparently while their parents were out, someone went in and took what little bit of food they had. Now, I didn't care much for the parents either. The mom worked...but the dad was just a bum. He claimed disability but yet he would be out here playing some serious one on one with the teenagers.
I brought her in the house with me and got out a Sprawl-Mart bag. I gave them the last bit of meat we had in the house (chicken), some bread, and some canned goods and told her to take them down to her mama. I didn't expect a thank you but I was a little insulted when the parents never even so much as waved at me...but praise God, the little girl quit crying and she and her brother and sisters did not go to bed hungry that night. Later that evening, my immediate neighbor came over because her husband had surgery about two months earlier on his knees and was on worker's comp. That wasn't paying the bills. They were out of groceries. So I gave her all the potatoes I had and cleaned out my cupboard. She was grateful and that made me feel good...not because I wanted to be someone's hero but because it makes me feel good to help people - especially when they appreciate it.
I'll admit it, though, when some local charity gave the fifth wheel family $20,000 I was envious. I mean, I am glad they got the money and could get a better place to live...but The Cop Magnet and I work our butts off to provide for our kids. He was even a little frustrated with me for giving the fifth wheel family groceries but understood why I did it. I grew up as that kind of kid...the kid that went to bed hungry and it kills me to think of any kid I know in my vicinity might be hungry.
I questioned God. Why? Why are we struggling and yet I give to the point that I will go hungry (but not my children) for someone else? Yet here I sit unemployed..with more groceries than I know what to do with.
My God is so good. He is an on time God. I was blessed (make that I am blessed).
You see, faith isn't just about putting your belief in God. It's about doing something. The Bible states that faith without works is dead. I don't want dead faith. I went out on faith. God repaid me just like the Bible says...give and it shall be given back to you, pressed down, shaken up, and over flowing.
Psalm 111:5 - He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant.
thank you for your sweet comment. I hope the best for you and your family. I know for a fact that God is loving and prayer answering and that He takes care of us during our times of need. It's so wonderful and selfless of you to have given when you yourself had very little. You were an angel to those children.
I know what you mean, its hard to watch what happens with some people, but God makes it balance in the end. One time we were out of food, it would only be one day without food, but I just didn't want my little ones to not have food, so I prayed. And someone out of the blue brought us supper! They didn't know! And then a neighbor kid brought us dessert! It was just the greatest thing, God not only provided, He also gave us our dessert! He is so good and loves us so much. But sometimes I wonder why He did that for us, when there are people who are starving? One meal wouldn't have hurt us to go without, and probably would have actually helped us all to be more thankful. But I am grateful that God provided, don't get me wrong! Maybe the answered prayer was something my kids, or I, needed to see.
thank you for your sweet comment. I hope the best for you and your family. I know for a fact that God is loving and prayer answering and that He takes care of us during our times of need. It's so wonderful and selfless of you to have given when you yourself had very little. You were an angel to those children.