Humbled as the Lord Keeps Working

Last week brought two more events that made me feel the Lord's arms around me in love and security.

Let's start with the more recent one first.  We received a handmade card in the mail with a check in it from some dear friends.  This was a sacrificial gift, I just know it.  This is a younger couple with small children, a single income family as mom stays home each day to care for their children and their home while dad commits himself to providing the family's needs.  While I'm certain that $200 could have been used in some way for their family, they heeded the Spirit's prompting and chose to help provide a home for Abigail's baby.  We are so very humbled, yet so very grateful that the Lord has allowed us to partner together in this effort.

We are going to cash this check and put it in an envelope for our expenses while in Phoenix to meet and pick up this precious baby.  According to my research, $200 will perfectly cover the expense of living in an extended-stay hotel for a week.  (We plan to go this route because an extended-stay hotel is less expensive AND will provide a kitchenette which cuts down on meal expenses as I can make our food instead of eating out while staying in Phoenix waiting on the ICPC.)

The Lord provides our every need.

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this, says the Lord of hosts
"If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.
Malachi 3:10

The other event of last week simply makes me grin because it's like pieces of a puzzle fitting together as if they were made to do so.  To back up a little bit, we had to send $11,000 to the agency within 72 hours of Abigail choosing us to parent her baby.  (If you've read my blog long, you'll know I don't usually share lots of specific details of adoption expenses, but this is one of those times the Lord provided the exact amount so the amount is relevant here.)  We didn't have this much money.  We drained our savings account of money we had been saving toward a family vacation and for a new violin for Destry and a different couch, but that only amounted to $5,000. We had an application for a home equity loan at the bank, but didn't have time to wait for approval.

So we swallowed our pride and asked a family member if we could borrow $6,000.  (Let me tell you, this is a lot easier to type than it was to do!  We were both raised that you don't ask for money, and you don't mix family and money because relationships are always more important and money complicates those relationships.  But this was about a child, and the child is more important than our pride.  So we borrowed the $6,000.)

I already told you our former church sent us a $1,000 gift when they heard the news.  And I already told you that Alan was promised a bonus for his work the last several months in serving as Operations Manager for two branches at his job.

But I didn't know the amount of that bonus.

Can you guess?  C'mon, how well do you know my God?  We were $6,000 short.  He had already provided $1,000.  Do the math, my friend.

Yep, FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS!  Just what we need to pay back that loan!

The Lord is providing what we need, as we need it.  What a ride, watching Him at work!  To God be the glory.