Memorial Box Monday

I have to say I have been a lurker on Linny's blog for awhile... this woman amazes me. You will have to check out her blog at www.aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com They have the most amazing story of how God created their family and it inspires me... lots of beautiful children through her own womb and adoption.

So I decided to join in her Memorial Box Monday post because after I read her post... I knew I had to post about an amazing way God showed His provision in our life in our early years of Marriage.... God is amazing how he provides... isn't HE???

So here is just one of the many stories of God's provision in our life... He IS a mountain moving God...


Just one week after we got married we moved from Wisconsin to Texas to both start our new jobs as teachers at a Christian school. I had always known that if God ever blessed us with kids that I wanted to be home with them... truly that was one of the only things I had wanted in life... to be a wife and a mother and to be able to be with my child after they joined our family.

Well, as it turned out it wasn't easy to conceive for us. The ironic thing was that it had nothing to do with the cancer treatments that Greg had received, but had everything to do with me. Praise God that after 4 years of marriage we were blessed with our Louis. Throughout that pregnancy Greg and I did a lot of discussing. His mom had stayed home with him for a couple of years and then went back to work as a preschool teacher and was able to take him with her. He grew up in a home where his father was a parochial teacher as well, so I know he had his doubts that we could do it financially with out me working. He had good reason to wonder.... we didn't make all that much:)

We decided we would try it and trust God to provide... (I was so ecstatic... it was a dream come true for me) Since Greg and I had taught at that school for a few years we knew many of the families at the church and school. We decided that I would take care of one other little girl during the day and then pick up kids after school and provide care for them at my home. (I have to give a shout out to Christa, one of the sweet little girls that I watched after school, she isn't so little anymore but a beautiful college age girl... wooh that makes me feel old Christa:)

This is where the story gets interesting...Greg and I had served the church in many ways over those first few years of marriage, praise team, youth counselors, etc. At one point Greg had served on a committee, (the funny thing is neither Greg or I can remember what the committee was even for) He had served with a group of men...

Ok, fast forward to about when Louis was about 2 months old. The school year had begun. We had figured out that with the money I was bringing in watching the kids, we would be just a little over $200 dollars short each month... We just moved ahead knowing God would work it all out.

One afternoon I was at school picking up the kids and was stopped by a sweet little girl. She was the daughter of one of the men that had served on the committee with Greg. She came up to my vehicle and gave me an envelope and said, "My mom wanted me to give this to you."

In the envelope was a letter. He wrote about knowing that money would be tight for us being young and now just on Greg's salary. They were really thankful that Greg and I had given a testimony in church about saving ourselves for marriage and each other. They had a sister that had come that one Sunday wem talked and it had been just what she needed to hear. The crazy thing was he had written this verse on his note Galations 6:6 Anyone who receives instruction in the word, must share all good things with his instructor. We were just 2 young early 20 somethings who had given a short testimony... we certainly didn't feel like instructors at all! We were floored by that... (Obviously, that was all God's work, not ours at all:) (Please don't at all think I am sharing any of this to say look at me or us... But truly to say Hey look at God, look what He has done... that is my heart.) This man and his wife had gotten married a little later in life and were blessed abundantly financially... he felt God leading him to share out of his abundance with us... (he even offered to let us use his really cool sports car some night for a date... we never did, bummer, that would have made for a fun memory:) I was shocked, just the note itself was amazing, such an encouragement to us.

Then I looked at the check... can you imagine what the check was for??? First off, I don't think that I had ever seen a check that big... it was for $2500. Yes, it would certainly cover what we would have been short that first year I stayed home with Louis and with just a little leftover. How did he know that we needed $2400? I am still amazed at the number that God laid on this mans heart... truly amazed. I drove right over to the the High School that Greg was now working at and drug all 6 of those kids in with me to show him the awesome handiwork of God right in our hands. I think that moment took away all doubt in Greg's mind that God would take care of us. We felt like that was God's will for our family for me to stay home with Louis and He provided completely.

Still to this day people wonder and ask us how we do it with just Greg working as a Pastor and me home with the kids... and now with us trying to tackle an adoption and all that will entail. Now, I am one frugal gal, (my dad always says that my mom can stretch a buck to five...but I can stretch it to ten... I love that Dad:) Actually I find it kind of fun to try to stretch all that God has given us financially and make it work for us... but it isn't me doing the work it is all God. I could NEVER stretch it like God does. And it continually amazes us... CONTINUALLY. That is it, God will and does continually provide for us. We have no want for anything...nothing! He provides more than we could ever need. He has provided ABUNDANTLY!

You are right Linny. He is our miracle working, mountain moving, awe inspiring, gasp giving God.

Ok, that was kind of a novel... but that was fun, sharing about the goodness of our GREAT God!

And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink, do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after such things, and your Father KNOWS that you need them, But seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Luke 12:29-31

UPDATE:

This is funny, my friend Mary just reminded me in my comments that same year God also abundantly provided for a vacation for Greg and I. Not only did He meet our needs but even for a vacation... something that we certainly didn't need but wanted. Isn't that almost crazy??

We had referred our sweet friends Mary and Chris to the realtor we had used and because of that she entered us into a drawing for a vacation package she was giving away... and guess who won? Yep, us. So we won a cruise that of course we took with Chris and Mary. What great memories, thanks for reminding me of that:)