God is Good

Six years ago we had a financial need and God blessed me with the opportunity to keep a sweet, little baby boy in our home. Gareth quickly became part of our family and spent the next 5 school years with us. The extra income was wonderful, but the match with Gareth and his family was equally so. God had met our need better than we could have anticipated.

Last spring as Gareth was preparing to enter kindergarten, Joey and I began to talk about what should come next for our family. As much as we enjoyed having a friend in our home, we both felt it was time for it to be "just us" again. Especially with Alexander on the way, I didn't want to have my attentions divided any further than they had to be.

But it was hard to think about giving up the additional income with so many mouths to feed. I knew in my heart of hearts that we were making the right decision and that God would meet our needs, but I still went into the new school year holding my breath, not exactly sure how the budget was going to pan out.

And yet, I should have just exhaled and remembered that God promises to take care of all my need, to do exceeding abundantly above all that I could ask or think, that He wants me to prosper (not just squeak by) and be in health. I do not need to be anxious or afraid...He already has the answer. I just need to trust Him and walk boldly and with confidence on what He has promised in His Word.

I did grab my mind and confess these truths when I started feeling anxious last August. And then I did my best to do what God has called me to do:

1. Believe
2. Pray
3. Abundantly Share...give back to God from what He has blessed us with
4. Wait with excitement for the blessings and answers He has in store for me

So here's what's happened so far this year:

1. I signed up for new health insurance - Christian Healthcare Ministries - before I knew I was going to have Alexander. CHM covered 100% of my maternity, labor, and delivery costs.
2. A friend at the high school encouraged us to start a Teachers Pay Teachers store. It is a perfect fit for us...we can work on it when we have the time. We did and sales are slowly starting to pick up. Every dollar helps, right?
3. Another neighbor and friend had extra fruit and veggies leftover from her produce deliveries and asked could she drop them at our house each week. We have LOVED these weekly treats!
4. We took a good, hard look at our spending habits and made some simple changes that added up to big savings.
5. Throughout the year there have been little extra pockets of money in our bank accounts that I could not account for on my monthly budget spreadsheet.
6. At Christmas, we received an anonymous card with a very generous Walmart gift card inside.
7. In January, Joey received a hefty bonus for his IB English test scores.
8. Thanks to Alexander and the additional child tax credits, we will be getting back significantly more in our tax return this year.
9. And, just yesterday, I was notified that an anonymous good Samaritan paid for our summer pool membership! To say I was overwhelmed is an understatement! 

So you see, God provided as He always does...in ways I could never have imagined or anticipated. I am so thankful for this lesson and the opportunity to grow in my believing and walk that this year has provided. God is good...all the time. 

And to the incredibly kind and generous person who paid for one of our most favorite things - THE POOL!!! - "thank you" does not begin to be sufficient. We are so humbled by your walk of love and so thankful for this blessing. Though we do not know your name, we will continually pray for you and ask that God bless you back many times over!