Wednesday, July 17, 2013

My Provider

On this blog there are a lot of topics I generally don't discuss. I usually like to keep things happy and neutral. I focus on the hobbies I enjoy or events happening in my life, a pretty even-keel-appeal-to-everyone type of blog. Today I'm going to write about God. I know everyone in the world has a different opinion about this. I'm not trying to start any debates or make anyone feel uncomfortable- but since this is my blog- I am going to write a little bit about my faith!

So it's no secret to those of you who know me that life hasn't exactly been easy for me this year. I'm not saying that I have the worst life ever or anything like that, I just mean that I've had to deal with a lot of new challenges.

One challenge that I faced was recovering from my car accident. The physical healing process was a lot, but I think it was easier in comparison to the emotional struggles I faced. It was really hard to have my entire life ripped from me: the place I lived, my job, my friends, my extra activities, my daily routine, and even most of my physical mobility. During this time I prayed- a lot. (What else is there to do in the hospital anyway?) I can honestly say that God is the only reason I was able to make it through the first half of this year as well as I did. By God's grace I was able to have a very positive outlook on the situation. I'm not saying that I didn't have lows in my emotional journey, but considering all the stress and change I faced God really helped me get through it. He gave me people to visit me, friends to talk to, family to support me, nurses with good senses of humor, an experienced doctor, wonderful therapists to work with on recovery. He gave me strength when I needed it, lightheartedness in the face of depression, and flexibility in the face of change.

One verse that I read every single day was Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

These words of God always brought me comfort when I felt like my days were ticking away during recovery being wasted. I knew that God had promised he had a plan, and that it was meant to give me hope and a future!

I can't say exactly what he meant for the plan to be. I still am discovering God's plan for my life. But I can say that even though the situation wasn't ideal God has blessed me with some really great things since my accident. For example, had it not been for all the recovery time I may have never started Everyday Hello. I am truly grateful for this! Everyday Hello has been a huge blessing in my life since day one. I also have had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my Mom, Ken, and Christopher. Even though at times this may not seem like a blessing ;P I know that I am cherishing these days I have with them. Also the accident gave me a unique chance to have some time on my hands to reconnect with friends. It may be simple, but I consider that a total blessing!

Even though the past months have been hard, God has been faithful to me! He kept his promises and was there with me every step of the way.


Another challenge I've been faced with recently is money. Post-college is never fun when it comes to money, but my accident added another layer of difficulty. Since February I haven't been able to work. I am finally now feeling up to having a part time job- but haven't found one yet. The only issue is that loan collectors don't care if you weren't able to work, or did't have a job, so bills started coming due. This month I was so stressed out about how I would be able to afford my loan payment and my car insurance. I continued praying and trusting in God for him to make a way. And thank God! He provided a way!

Philippians 4:19
And my God will meet all of your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Partway through this month I received my insurance bill. I knew the bill would be more than I had in my bank account. When I opened the bill I realized it was 66% lower this month! My mouth seriously gaped open as I read and reread the bill. I kept expecting to find an error. I held my breath as I logged online to pay- and there it was: the smallest car insurance bill I've ever had to pay in my life!! You could not wipe the smile off of my face that day. God is so good!

Then my loan bill came: $157.00 - I had nowhere close to this much money! (Sad but true) I prayed and prayed that somehow God would provide a way for me to make this payment. This past weekend I had a garage sale. I had hoped to make enough at the sale to cover my loan payment for this month. The day was rainy, we didn't have many big ticket items, and even a few of our signs advertising the sale had been taken down by the electric company! When I sat down at the end of the day I held my breath while counting the money. I sighed when I realized we had made at least $200. I was so thankful God had provided. But his blessings didn't stop there! Not only did we make above $200, we made above $300, and above $400- that's right we made $500! I could not believe the huge blessing that had just been bestowed on me! God is so good and he provides for our needs. Now I'll have enough money to cover next month's bills as well, while I continue to look for a more permanent job.

Thank you Lord for being my provider. Thank you for blessing me in my times of need. God is good!

I hope today all of you can share in my excitement for the wonderful things God has been doing in my life. I'm praying for all of you that he blesses you today with the things you need!