More Times of Struggle - Our Journey of Obedience Continues

As the days grew nearer to the birth of our second child, our stress levels continued to rise. Daniel still didn't have a full time job as of the beginning of April 2003. God continued to provide for our EVERY need. In fact, during these months, Daniel's Grandma wrote us a check every month from the small amount of money she lived on. It was for a nice sum and a sacrifice for her, yet she felt that this is what she was supposed to do. Family and friends were praying for us continually. Sometimes money would show up in the mail that we were not anticipating. God's timing is always perfect. I can remember one time when there was a doctor's appointment that I had to go to and wasn't sure where the money was coming from in order to pay for it. We had asked for prayer in a general manner in our Sunday school class and did not mention that we needed money. Immediately after class and just before the service started, one of our single friends from our Sunday school class walked up to us and handed us a check. It more than covered the expenses that we were anticipating. Once again, I sobbed as I realized that something I was stressing over was not necessary. I had wavered in my faith and had doubted that God was going to provide for us. In that moment, I was humbled in a way that I often had not been. How foolish I had been to think that God was not going to take care of this need as well!

Daniel found a job for a pest control company sometime in late April 2003. I continued to babysit right up until the day before I gave birth to our son. The C-section was scheduled for Friday, May 16. The night before this exciting day, Daniel and I went to Target to buy diapers for the newborn, as well as a few other things. While we wandered around the store for our last night as a family of 3, Daniel received a phone call from his Dad. Apparently, his Dad's brother (Daniel's uncle in Colorado) had mailed something to Daniel's parents' house. His uncle did not have our address, but wanted to send a "little" something in celebration of the birth of our second child. Daniel told his Dad to open the envelope. I watched his reaction as he listened to his Dad read the enclosed letter. His face went from smiling, to shock, to complete and utter disbelief. I think there were even a few tears in my husband's eyes. I found out after what seemed like an eternal five minute conversation that Daniel's uncle not only wrote a very nice letter, but also enclosed a check for $500! Remember this was the day before my C-section and we figured we would put the co-pay on one of our credit cards. Guess what the amount of the co-pay was? $500!!! Unbelievable, especially considering the timing, the large amount of money, and the fact that this is not a relative that Daniel is especially close to.

As many know, this was only one more step in our journey of obedience. The story has many more elements to it. Obedience to the Lord and striving to follow Him daily continues to be something that we are working on. One of my primary reasons for starting this blog is not only to share with others how God works in our life, but also as a reminder to myself of His faithfulness to me and to my family.

"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Matthew 6:25-34 NKJV