An Overdue Update (answered prayers)

I've not meant to be silent about this.... in fact, in some ways I've already shouted it from the roof-top.   

Sometime last month, I posted here about my state of panic regarding my finances, and my ensuing determination to trust God to provide for me, while shooting off an email to my friends, asking for prayer support.

A cyberfriend who reads my blog immediately sent me a donation via paypal, and suggested I put a donation button on my blog.  I then blogged about the inner dialogue I was having regarding the donation button.  At this point, the button is still up, and still unused, but I like seeing it there, so I'll leave it up for awhile longer, I think.

Anyway... I've been remiss in updating what happened after that other update post.

First, let me stress that I had asked my friends to pray for me, that God would provide my needs, and that I would do well in the phone interviews I was having for a job.  I can unequivocally say that both prayers were answered.

The phone interviews went well, and on Tuesday December 7 at 4pm, I'll have a face to face interview that includes a 20-30 minute teaching demonstration, so they can see how I interact in a classroom.

And God provided.

The most important thing he provided was His incomprehensible peace, which arrived with the cyberfriend's donation, and has still not departed.  Her gift was like His telling me "It's ok, Mary. I'm still here, and I have resources you wouldn't even *think* about tapping. It'll be ok."

But He also provided financially.

He was not in a hurry to do so (he never is).  There were some false signals (there usually are - think of Sarai & Hagar, or Jacob & Esau).    American Express increased my credit limit, and I said "ah ha! I have a cushion, and if need be, I can use my credit card to pay my bills."  I knew that wasn't God's plan, but it felt nice to know I had a cushion.

Then my boss told me that payday would be early, because of the holiday, and that he had managed to merge another weeks' timecard into my paycheck again.  So the paycheck that had been projected to be about $300 short from what I needed to pay my rent turned out to be almost $200 more than I needed to pay my rent (note to self: write rent check).

But before that paycheck arrived in my mailbox, I received cards from 2 friends.  One I've known for a long time, one for a shorter time.  Both are wonderful people, and both were moved to be generous.   

Their checks carried me until my paycheck arrived. Their checks bought dogfood, and paid the overdue utilities that I honestly thought I had paid last month (and the month before that).  Their checks gave me the same message that Shannon's donation did -- God is here, watching out for me, taking care of my needs with just the right amount, at just the right time.  I've not been forgotten, or abandoned, or rejected, in spite of my lackadaisical obedience.  I'm still His, and He still loves me.

As do my friends, who let Him use them to bless me.  I can only  thank them (which I did), and pray that God will bless them as abundantly as they have blessed me (which I do).

Thank you my friends, those I have mentioned in this post, and those I have not. You know who you are, and you know how much I appreciate your steadfast friendship in my life, and the generosity you have always shown me, with your friendship, with your thoughts and prayers, and most recently, with your finances. 

Thank you God, for your provision, but more importantly than that (to me), for your peace during this time, and your promises.  Thank you for your steadfastness, your faithfulness that is never-ending and always new. 

Comments

[shannonblogs]

Just so that everyone knows, too, that YOU are as generous as your heavenly Father. When you heard that we were hurting financially, though not as much as when Greg was out of work, you sent us some money, more than we sent YOU! It came at the perfect time, giving us the boost we needed before more provision came in. It's like that Amy Grant song, "And the gift goes on." Once you give, it's like ripples in the pond, it goes out and effects more and more and gets bigger. I never expected it to come back to us though. What a blessing to give and receive and give and receive and so on and so on.

[fiwit]

Well, God keeps giving to me, and who am I to keep it to myself? :-)

I'm so glad it blessed you - I had so much fun planning it.