Paid In Full

It's been eleven weeks now since we had our last Sunday at our church.  So much has happened, and yet not much has happened.  Make sense? Let me fill you in a little....

So, we finished at church, and that afternoon we headed off to Nemeska, Quebec, for a week.  Then we came home, and over the next few weeks we did more travelling for fun as well as Matt speaking at camp.  It was so busy we didn't have much time to think about our future.  As I have shared before, we knew we were doing exactly what God wanted us to do, so we weren't too worried.  Although we had our moments, me especially, of sheer panic.

Then it was getting into September and we still didn't know what was going to happen.  Our house was up for sale and gaining lots of interest. But no offers.  We had no income for more than a month. The first week after we were done, we received several incredibly generous gifts which had been providing for us so thus far, but no money since and the well was beginning to run dry.  Matt had been in contact with a church out in Alberta, and he had a weekend all set to go out there to meet the pastor and church.  But we still didn't know if this was going to be the place for us.  I was looking at surgery and quite a few weeks of recovery time.  Things just didn't seem to be going the way I had envisioned them.

Matt and I talked about how we felt like our lives were on hold and being patient was getting harder by the day.  I stopped checking our bank account every day because I would get a knot in my stomach watching it get down lower and lower.  I found myself worrying about it all.  Matt was feeling the huge burden of needing to provide for his family.  He had applied for unemployment, but was denied because he didn't have a good enough reason for leaving his other job.  The government doesn't understand the whole following Gods leading thing.  Matt was beginning to look for a "regular" job that he could start soon.

It didn't make a whole lot of sense to me- why God would lead us away only to "leave us hanging" so to speak.  I was praying for His will to be made known to us and soon!  We were just a few days away from not being able to pay our bills.  What are you doing, God?

Here I was, in the same place I always seem to get when things don't go my way.  Questioning what God was doing.  And there God was, in the same place He always is showing us His perfect provision and plan.  Matt flew out West and the weekend went great.  He loved the church and the church loved him.  My surgery went well and my recovery is going well.

One night about two weeks ago, I was just praying, telling the Lord how worried I was over our finances.  I was trying to trust Him, but was having a hard time doing so.  Wouldn't you know that the very next day we received yet another very generous and very unexpected gift in the mail?  And we received a phone call telling us our former church had taken up a love offering for us!  That right there would provide over two more weeks for us.  Then, the next day we got a bill in the mail.  As soon as I saw it my heart sank a little.  I had forgotten this was coming and we didn't have the extra really to pay it.  But as soon as I opened it up, I saw it was stamped "PAID" and at the bottom, in someone's handwriting it said, "Paid in full."  I stood there for a minute, looking at it, confused.  We didn't pay it!  But someone did.  Right then, I paused and in my heart thanked God for His perfect provision.  And asked forgiveness for my continued worry and lack of faith.

So, these past eleven weeks have not been the most fun time of our lives.  There have been some trying times. Some scary times.  But even more so, we have had some wonderful times.  Matt and I are seeing God completely take care of us with no help from us at all.  He is stretching our faith and trust in Him far beyond I would have ever thought.

Today is Thanksgiving Day in Canada.  And I want to just thank the Lord for His goodness. He is so, so good.  We don't deserve any of this.  And yet He still showers us with His blessings.  As for our future, Matt and I fly back out to Alberta in a week and half for one more formal interview, but really the job has been offered to Matt and we have accepted.  We are really just waiting for me to recover and our house to sell, and we will be moving out west to start our new ministry.  Until then Matt has a job working for his dad which he is able to do from home.  We are being spoiled by having Daddy around all the time!

This has been a hard time for us, at least me.  But God is so good and taking such good care of us.  And in case I find myself starting to doubt again, I have a bill hanging on my fridge that says "Paid in full."  Thank you, Lord. Thank you.

Happy Thanksgiving .  Until next time.....