I am just scratching my head but praising the Lord because there is no other explanation for the events that have occurred this week. Just His blessings upon my life.
I'm going to back up a little and set the stage because I think it does explain why I think these blessings are happening now at this very precise moment in time.
Managing finances has not been a very strong area for me. I used to blame my ex-husband for my inabilities in that area because he managed the money but gave me all the blame. However, it has been well over 5 years since I have been doing my finances alone and I have made many, many mistakes. Some were extremely expensive and poorly timed. I shed many tears over them. However, I do have to say that I have never been without a roof over my head or food on the table.
But I have made it a personal goal to improve how I manage my resources because it is the Lord who supplies me with a good income. He also has given me a brain and expects me to use it. But I let fear get in the way and fear leads to shame and embarrassment and this has sent me down a spiraling path that creates more problems. So, part of my resolution is to face my problems head on and not cower in the corner in fear. The other part was to begin to tithe regularly. My church began doing an automatic withdrawal from a checking or savings account. I had mixed feelings about that because I thought perhaps I would not be a "cheerful giver" if the money was just taken out of my account each week.
The Lord continued to press on my heart about it and I decided I really did want to do it, so I prayed and asked the Lord to tell me what amount I should tithe. So, at a business meeting, the ACH forms were on the tables and a number popped into my head. I filled out the form and turned it in. What I didn't know was that I would get an email notice every week saying that the amount was withdrawn. And each time it happens, my heart is filled with joy. And I am looking forward to a time when I can increase my tithe.
So, that is the background. It was a leap of faith and courage because money was feeling extremely tight but at the same time, I knew that I needed to be obedient and trust that the Lord would take care of me and my family.
Since that time, my Grandmother offered to help me with money I needed to move out of my current living situation and into a new place. That was something she said she had been praying about for a while because she felt that it was not going to be good for me to stay in the situation I was in. And she was right. That all fell into place in a matter of 3 days time. It was amazing.
This week, it was Easter, and I usually do something for my kids like hiding easter eggs. But I got Strep and didn't feel well but also with the upcoming move and trying to pay down some huge heating bills from the winter and BB's cell phone larceny...I was feeling the pinch. So, I didn't do anything. I felt bad about it later so I promised the kids a treat. Easter candy is so cheap the day after Easter!!
Monday night, I got a call around 9:30pm. I recognized the voice, sort of, but the man said, "From someone who cares, there is a package for you on the front step." It sort of freaked me out a little bit. But when I opened my front door, there were 4 bags, each contained an easter basket with some toys and candy for each of my kids, with their names on them. At that point, I definitely knew who it was but for the kids, I told them I found the baskets on the front step. They were so giggly and happy about it. It made my day to watch them. That was blessing #1.
Blessing #2 came today. In the mail, I got a note that said, "Use these for what you need. God Bless!" No name. No return address. I don't recognized the handwriting. It was a gift card to Cub for $100 and a gift card to Target for $100. I was floored. I just kept looking at the note and looking at the cards. The timing is perfect. I am moving in a week and am renting a truck, feeding a crew of people and I want to treat them well, plus gas for my van to run back and forth all week. I was going to scrape by. I had been running my budget for the two weeks between paychecks and I could do it but it was going to be tight. But these gift cards will ease the burden.
I am blessed. And I am humbled. Thank you Jesus. Thank you to my anonymous friends who have blessed me this week.
No comments:
Post a Comment