When I first became a Christian our oldest son was a baby and our second child was just a thought. With all of my heart I wanted to stay home with our son. When our second child came along we were broke if I went to work and we were broke if I did not, so I chose to stay home. When our youngest was about 18 months old my husband told me he wanted to go to college. I was not a very good Christian, and I did not want him to go to college because then I would have to go back to work and not be able to stay home with our children (which I thought was very important), I did the smart thing and I prayed, the prayer I am sure was a very selfish prayer, but God knew my heart.
When we looked at our finances and found a cheap and nice place to live (thank you Sandy) I ended up being able to stay at home with our children. God provided the impossible and that was for me to stay home with our children and my husband to go to college full-time and for him to work a part time job. This was back in the '80's when they did not have online classes and working adult colleges like they do now.
During the process of all of this I made some mistakes, and I also learned that God always provides. When my husband first was getting everything ready to go back to school I decided I would get a job as a waitress. I had been a waitress in high school and thought if I worked a few nights a week and weekends I would be able to stay at home with our children and my husband could watch them while I was at work. I call my waitress job my Ishmael. Just like Sara having Abraham go with Hagar, instead of waiting, I took the situation in my own hands, and it was a disaster. I did not like my job, I did not like the manager and I really was not a good witness. My husband ended up calling my manager and telling him that I quit (long story). After I was no longer employed an opportunity arrived for me to work and stay at home.
My Aunt Judy called me and she was working at a factory that sub contracted out wire harnesses to be built. I would get paid for each wire harness I built and I was to build them at home. It was a perfect job for me and my family. My Aunt Judy would call me when there was a wire harness job available, I would load up the kids and drive out to the factory and pick up the job. As soon as I finished the job I would load up the kids, the finished product and take it back to the factory. When I took the finished job back I would get a check. I did not have to wait a week, I would just have to wait for someone to sign the check. God used this job and this time in my life to really teach me about his provision. I would often times pray, Lord we need diapers and milk; then I would get a phone call from Aunt Judy and she would have a job that would pay enough for diapers, milk and a little extra.
God is always faithful even when I am not. My husband and I have been hit with a lot of extra bills and a lot less paycheck lately. I really tried not to fret, but I must admit I did a bit anyway. I prayed. On Thursday night I was listening on the radio and Pastor MacDonald was talking about being content with what we had. I listened and decided that I needed to change my attitude from worry to focusing on the good and the opportunities God laid before me. I woke up Friday morning at peace with a good attitude. At about noon on Friday my husband forwarded me an email from his boss, and the email was about a 2010 bonus he would be getting on Monday. When I read it I cried. God provided, just as He always has, but I just needed a refresher course.
Psalm 68:10 and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor.
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