Jim came home from helping our best friends out on Saturday. He told me that their parents were getting a new dryer and were going to give us their old one. "Oh nice." I said.
In my head I was screaming.
God, what are you doing?! We were just given a dryer a few months ago. Yes, it is old, and yes it makes a horrible screeching noise, but it works. I really would rather you provided us with groceries this week. After all, this is our tightest week of the month with most of our big bills due!
Jim and I have been praying that God would provide for our needs this month. We have also been praying that as impossible as it seems we would be able to survive this month of February sans paychecks without using any of our emergency fund that we set up when we started our Dave Ramsey plan. It's a huge thing to ask, but we serve a huge God. I was really hopeful....until Saturday.
I haven't been feeling well all weekend and Scotty woke up with a really yucky runny nose on Sunday, so I decided to keep him home from church. After Jim and Cadi left for Sunday School and Scotty went down for his nap, I decided to throw a load of laundry in. After about ten minutes of a load tumbling in the dryer I hear a really loud shrill noise coming from the dryer and then it stops. After several repeated attempts to get it working I gave up, and then I was overcome with the realization of what had happened - God had provided for our needs. Our dryer was broken, and He provided before we even knew it was a need! In that moment I could almost hear His gentle discipline.
Oh, daughter, your faith is so small. Why would you ever doubt My love for you? My ways are higher than your ways. Trust in Me with all of your heart, and don't lean on your own understanding. All you have to do is look around. You should have seen me in your dryer - of course I will provide for you. You just need to open your eyes and humble your heart.
The groceries seem a little less significant now. It would have been much harder for us to scrape together money for a dryer this month than it will be for us to scrape together some inexpensive meals. I am humbled.
Where have you seen God lately? Sometimes He can be seen in the most unpredictable ways.
"Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you." I Peter 5:7
(This is the second time recently that God has used a dryer to teach me a lesson! Ashamedly the lesson was very much the same. I think I've got it this time. To read about my other lesson click here.)
Addis Ababa Time
22 comments:
That is so amazing that God provided for you before you even knew you needed that. But, it's not surprising because that is how great our God is!! :-)
I have to admit, I have been letting my anxieties take over and have not stopped to listen and see what God has been doing in my life. I am really trying to work on this.
~Heather
That is my "theme" verse on my blog!
I really enjoy your page...I gave you a blog award today on mine! :o)
It always amazes me how even the "random" things that happen turn out to be a part of God's plan.
Keep trusting Him! He is faithful and will meet all your needs. Matthew 6 is a great reminder for me when I'm in a tough spot.
Wow. That is just amazing. I love seeing how He provides even when we aren't sure He's doing it right. :) I've definitely seen God provide in the friendships He has blessed us with since moving. Keep trusting and growing in your faith... I know I do every day!
we have what we call a "failed budget" because our monthly expensenses are more than our monthly income and yet we have cut down our expenses as much as we possibly can. We go into a month not knowing if we really will have enough to pay all the bills that are due and yet someone God keeps the cashflow at a place that allows us to pay our bills...We call it our "widow's oil"
We see him provide through gifts from friends, a gracious church, and sales on groceries. And even now we've been able to find a place to live that is not in the getto where our Heat, air, and water utilities will all be paid for in the monthly rent. Which will which will give us a $350 saving and help make our budget a successful one :)
Now we're praying for the humility, grace, and stregth to make the move.
I love when He gets our attention through unconventional means. He is amazing and there even when we think He isn't there. Thanks for sharing. I can totally learn from this lesson :-)
Erin
I am so glad the Lord is blessing your family especially at this time. I have a washer not working right now and was in the same despair. Then my lovely neighbor offered to let me use her washer for as long as I needed. Then her husband told me the part I could buy and he could fix it. I am so grateful for my blessings.
Oh, oh! Thank you for sharing this today! What an amazing story! Jehovah-jireah. The Lord who Provides... even when we don't know what we need. If we could only always remember this....
I've added you to my reader. I don't know how you found my blog, but you were so sweet to comment me the other day!
Wow. What a story! Thanks for sharing! It's so hard to remember that He is looking out for us in ways we don't even understand sometimes. And thanks for stopping by my site earlier!
Wow! What an amazing God we serve! I'm praising Him for His provision in your life! What an amazing story and another great reminder for me to trust Him in my own life. It's always so easy to say, "I trust Goid for all my needs," but it's a whole nother ball game to actually live it!
What a wonderful post. I cannot tell you the amount of times I have quoted that scripture. I have a hard time leaning not to my own understand. It is amazing to see how he has had his hand in everything, even the time I have felt all alone, when I look back over my life.
When I hear a story like that I can't help but think of the hymn verse "Blessing all mine with ten thousand besides." :)
Thanks for stopping by my blog. It had fun looking through some of your posts. You have a beautiful family.
thank you for finding my blog so I could find YOU! :
beautiful post! off to check out your homeschooling stuff now!
A good lesson for us all. Thanks for sharing. God is so good to take care of us like that!
Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog today! It's great to meet you. Just to let you know i have some giveaways coming up this week. One starting tomorrow! =)
You have such a beautful blog here!
I noticed Francine Rivers on your reading shelf. She's one of my favorite authors ever! Isn't she great!?
Well, i need to get back to reading my home work... although i'd much rather be reading your blog! =)
I love your blog, thanks for popping in on mine! Id love you to join in our swap!! :)
What a blessing that was. Thanks for stopping over at my blog.
Take care & God Bless.
Sorry this really doesn't have anything to do with your post,but I've been wanting to say it for the longest time and my computer wouldn't let me comment. OH MY WORD,the cuteness of your children!!!! :)
That's all. :)
Love this testimony...what a practical reminder! Thanks so much for sharing.
Also, thanks for stopping by my blog and for the sweet comment. I really appreciate it!
Oh, He is so, so, so, so, so GOOD! How small I end up making Him, and then He goes and does amazing things like this! I loved reading this...about how He provided for you BEFORE you even knew you had a need. What tender confirmation of His provision...that He is moving in ways you cannot see right now in all areas of your life.
Thank you so much for coming by my blog and leaving me such a sweet comment. :) And I am so glad I was given the chance to come by here and be encouraged. Lifting you and your beautiful family up today!
Blessings!
K
Excellent post! (and such a sweet picture!)
Thanks for stopping by the blog. You have a lovely site here! Can't wait to read more!
Wnat you to know that I'm always praying for you. I'm thinking of you guys so so much. I hope you know how much you are being stretched and grown right now...even we can see it on the outside! You're getting through this time beautifully and gracefully. Email me if you need to but otherwise, know that I'm praying.
That was a great story to remind us that someone is there for us when we need it. Thanks and thanks for stopping by my site. I saw you pop up on my Blog Frog widget :)
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