A Blessing in Surprise!

If you have been reading my blog, you already know that when we moved seven months ago, I lost my income since I run a home daycare. I re-did my license for this new home, but since I am unknown in the area, had been unable to acquire any new daycare families. We tried everything: advertising, posting flyers, taking adds out in the paper and on Craigslist… And got nothing more than one little girl who comes for one hour after school each day!

I have been questioning God, and my faith has even faltered a bit. In the past few weeks, as Pastor John has spoken about God waiting until the absolute last possible moment to answer - just so that we would know that It was God and not us, I began to have hope that that is what was happening.

For most of the year we have been planning to travel to Nebraska (my home state) for my brother’s wedding. I missed my sister’s wedding a year and a half ago because I was in the end of my last pregnancy so I have not been “back home” for seven years. We had set aside some money for this trip and have had it in our savings account this whole time, but as the weeks and months have gone by without any income on my part, and as we have watched the rest of our money gradually dwindle down, we began to wonder if it would be wise to use that money for a trip.

A couple of weeks ago, my husband was told that his hours would be cut for at least two months. At that point we knew what we had to do – cancel the trip and use the money for living expenses.

I called my mom, and then my sister, to inform them of this change in plans. Of course they were disappointed. I explained everything and told them that several things would have to happen in order for us to go: John would need more hours, I would need daycare, and we would need some money that we have been expecting to arrive in time to fix the transmission on our Suburban. My sister asked me if I was praying for any miracles. I admitted that I had not. She said lightheartedly,

“Well, that’s what I am going to pray for ‘cause that’s more fun!”

That  was Tuesday. On Thursday I got a message from Pastor Rick that sounded urgent and called him at church. He told me that in all of his years of ministry this is only the second time that this had happened – someone wanted to give an anonymous gift through him!

I was speechless.

I had heard of God using that method to provide for a need for other people, but had never expected Him to do that for me! I explained the whole story. He laughed when I told him what my sister had said, adding that God had chosen to answer her prayer instead of any of mine!

I spoke to my husband later that day and he asked how much money was gifted. I told him that I had not asked, but that it would be the exact amount that he had calculated for the cost of the trip because the only reason we received this blessing was in answer to my sister’s prayer. He stopped to see Pastor Rick on his way home, then handed me the envelope without a single word the moment that he got home. It was the exact amount of the trip!!!

John told me to go ahead and call my mom and tell her that we could come after all, so I called her Friday morning. While I was talking to her, another call beeped through. It was a mother seeking full-time daycare for her toddler.

We had been worried about our old vehicle's transmission and even considered renting one for the trip. Over the weekend John’s family came because his parents had just returned from Florida and had not seen us since Christmas. His sister and brother in law also came. While they were here, the boys decided to shoot their BB gun with their uncles, so John had to go to the store to get more BBs. His brother in law, who is a mechanic, rode along. They got to talking about the transmission and James said that there is no problem with changing gears; it is simply getting a delayed signal. The difference between replacing a cable - or a $1700 transmission!

On Monday I got a message from someone at church who lives in this area asking if I have room for her three children in my daycare! Now, instead of begging God for just one or two daycare children, I am trying to adjust my schedule to accommodate all of the children that God is blessing us with!

So He did answer my prayers, too. But He waited until the last possible moment (You may remember me mentioning that that moment was coming. Deciding what to do about this trip and how much farther that money would take us without my income was that moment.) and He started by using one of His children to give me the gift of seeing the True and Living God at work for me!

 So THANK YOU to this child of God who was obedient to the tiny voice of God, because seeing how God chose to work everything out has increased my faith and that of some of my family as well.

He is the TRUE AND LIVING GOD and He is still working in our lives the way that he did for people in the Bible!