Have you recently told me that you would be praying for me? Then let me tell you what God did with your prayers because He's been busy!
1) My mower quit.
2) My dryer quit one week later
3) The repairman was crooked and left my landlord with one broken dryer and two payments for doing all the wrong things so he could cheat her out of extra service calls. Since she had to pay for two service calls, she went up on my rent to an amount I don't have in the budget.
4) I can't afford the rent but can't afford to rent a new place either.
5) My son called to tell me that after proposing a couple of weeks ago to the mother of his son, she dumped him and he's destroyed.
6) I had my brother-in-law to come work on my mower and instead, he broke it to the point it's no longer repairable.
From #1 to #6 has all happened over the course of a month. So, when I tell you that I'm in a down season of my life (prior post), I mean it! But I also knew that God would see to me and that it's a season that will pass. Therefore, let's start at trial #1 and I'll explain how things are going now and all within one month.
1) Because I had been lying to myself when I entered a debit amount into my checkbook (in other words, if I spent $53 I would write $60 in my checkbook and round up to the nearest 10), my actual account balance when I called the bank was at least $200 over what I had written in my checkbook. What a coincidence, since when I had to visit all of the pawn shops in my town to find myself a lawnmower the only used mower in the entire town was $200. Cha-chinnnnggg!
2) The dryer still isn't fixed but I'm being told that I'll just be getting a new one (remains to be seen but the real joy was in telling the landlord and getting that impending stress off my shoulders).
3 and 4) Instead of trying to talk to her about this higher rent and what I could afford, I figured it was best to just take her what I could and let the chips fall where they may. I did. I started counting off dollars and explaining that I could give her half the increase she asked because there's no possibility of giving her more than is in my budget. She simply smiled and said, "okay, that will be just fine." Cha-chinnnnggg!
5) Instead of my son's girlfriend packing up and moving on, she's staying with him for now and that gives him back his peace and joy. He has time to adjust to the separation and their son is not seeing any fighting.
6) Doesn't matter because I have a new mower now and the old one was on it's last leg anyway. It was only a matter of time before it quit completely.
BONUS: My landlord showed up this evening with an envelope. On the front it said, "I'm sorry" and inside was the amount of increase on the rent that I had given her yesterday. She said that she wasn't supposed to impose the increase yet and that I was paying it too early and that she felt it was wrong to keep it. So she returned it to me.
I hope that if you're going through something right now and if that something feels like your entire life is crumbling around you due to the trials that are coming on, trust the Lord and He's going to see you through. "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for thou art with me.." When trials abound it can feel like death is approaching because we have to fight through the stress to get rest, to retain some appetite, to smile and find joy. It's truly a walk through a valley and death surely can feel as if it's overshadowing us (at least it does me), but God is with us, and remember that in that verse, it says, "...walk THROUGH the valley..." we are never meant to "...remain in the valley..." If you prayed for me, my gratitude is immeasurable. Thank you!!
1) My mower quit.
2) My dryer quit one week later
3) The repairman was crooked and left my landlord with one broken dryer and two payments for doing all the wrong things so he could cheat her out of extra service calls. Since she had to pay for two service calls, she went up on my rent to an amount I don't have in the budget.
4) I can't afford the rent but can't afford to rent a new place either.
5) My son called to tell me that after proposing a couple of weeks ago to the mother of his son, she dumped him and he's destroyed.
6) I had my brother-in-law to come work on my mower and instead, he broke it to the point it's no longer repairable.
From #1 to #6 has all happened over the course of a month. So, when I tell you that I'm in a down season of my life (prior post), I mean it! But I also knew that God would see to me and that it's a season that will pass. Therefore, let's start at trial #1 and I'll explain how things are going now and all within one month.
1) Because I had been lying to myself when I entered a debit amount into my checkbook (in other words, if I spent $53 I would write $60 in my checkbook and round up to the nearest 10), my actual account balance when I called the bank was at least $200 over what I had written in my checkbook. What a coincidence, since when I had to visit all of the pawn shops in my town to find myself a lawnmower the only used mower in the entire town was $200. Cha-chinnnnggg!
2) The dryer still isn't fixed but I'm being told that I'll just be getting a new one (remains to be seen but the real joy was in telling the landlord and getting that impending stress off my shoulders).
3 and 4) Instead of trying to talk to her about this higher rent and what I could afford, I figured it was best to just take her what I could and let the chips fall where they may. I did. I started counting off dollars and explaining that I could give her half the increase she asked because there's no possibility of giving her more than is in my budget. She simply smiled and said, "okay, that will be just fine." Cha-chinnnnggg!
5) Instead of my son's girlfriend packing up and moving on, she's staying with him for now and that gives him back his peace and joy. He has time to adjust to the separation and their son is not seeing any fighting.
6) Doesn't matter because I have a new mower now and the old one was on it's last leg anyway. It was only a matter of time before it quit completely.
BONUS: My landlord showed up this evening with an envelope. On the front it said, "I'm sorry" and inside was the amount of increase on the rent that I had given her yesterday. She said that she wasn't supposed to impose the increase yet and that I was paying it too early and that she felt it was wrong to keep it. So she returned it to me.
I hope that if you're going through something right now and if that something feels like your entire life is crumbling around you due to the trials that are coming on, trust the Lord and He's going to see you through. "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for thou art with me.." When trials abound it can feel like death is approaching because we have to fight through the stress to get rest, to retain some appetite, to smile and find joy. It's truly a walk through a valley and death surely can feel as if it's overshadowing us (at least it does me), but God is with us, and remember that in that verse, it says, "...walk THROUGH the valley..." we are never meant to "...remain in the valley..." If you prayed for me, my gratitude is immeasurable. Thank you!!
Kelline,
ReplyDeletewhat a beautiful post, a testimony to encourage all who might be going through really hard trials, who don't need songs being sung to their heavy hearts but need a testimony of one who is going through the same trials, with the help of God being real in them. Doesn't it prove what a liar the devil is and what false outcomes he can place in our minds if we allow him. God, our heavenly Father, is the One who sees the end from the beginning and Jesus is the mediator between us and our Father who is able to have our times put into His hands, not the devil's when we come to Him for help.
God bless you abundantly.
You know what Brenda, despite having come through this valley for this season, I still needed to hear your words here, "Doesn't it prove what a liar the devil is..." Sometimes in the midst of such trials we forget why we become so disparaged. We forget about who it is whispering the negative things in one ear and who it is that works diligently to bring destruction to our faith. It's important that one should always try to remember that they're being warred upon and that God promises to let the battle be His. Thanks again Brenda. God keep you in His care and I hope your health is good and feel well!!
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ReplyDeleteA verse has just come into my mind as regards to your question Kelline 'Hitherto has the Lord helped us' I feel very well, praise the Lord. ( I deleted the first comment because I put 'me' instead of 'us'.)
ReplyDeletePraise the Lord indeed!!! Truly we're in His care and I'm proud to give Him the glory for what He's done in my life. Hallelujah!!
DeletePraise the Lord! Did you know that the word "coincidence" does not exist in the Hebrew language. With God there is no coincidence of having an extra two-hundred in your account. And not coincidence of finding a two-hundred dollar lawn mower!
ReplyDeleteThis blessing is even a blessing to me.
Reminding me of how personal our God is. That He is a personal loving God. That sees us even in details of rounding up dollars or even running into the right people.
It most definitely is a Hallelujah!
Amen!! Great point, and had I really thought harder I would not have wrote that word, I agree. I would have said instead, "God has been leading me to round my amounts to the nearest 10 because He had a plan to help accumulate an increase in my budget so when the time came I would have the right amount for the right need." Absolutely true, sis!!! I love your wisdom in the Lord!!
DeleteIt's like my friends now deceased dad, who I loved very much, who once told me "there's no such thing as luck, only God's blessings." Your comment reminds of that. Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement! It all counts.
Oh, i hadn't even noticed that you used the word coincidence. Haha. I said that because people might say to you, oh that's just a coincidence.
DeleteMy mother never says luck, it i say it, she'll say that you don't need luck with God. :)
I actually came back here just to give you an encouraging scripture...
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have it's full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
Now He isn't testing you with this evil, for It says He doesn't tempt anyone with evil, but through this He is perfecting you Kelline. And leading you to Holiness. And purifying you with the crucible.
So that you will be a jewel a pure jewel!
Love you Sis!
Absolutely right! The Bible tells us that we must all be tried by fire to prove us. You're always such a doll to send encouraging words my way. You're also a great young woman of God because your prayers (and those of the others who promised to pray) are quite powerful!
DeleteI love you love you love you, sis!!
I can relate to the lawnmower situation in this post almost as though you saw me going through the very same thing. The lawnmower we have I borrowed from a friend, it's on one wheel and I got to be very careful with it, it blows more smoke than a chimney in England during the winter time. About a month ago I made an attempt to mow the lawn and it was a failure the lawn mower kept shutting off and when I tried to restart it nothing, needles to say our yard is like a little jungle. I went out today to try and use the weedwacker and it worked, then it started raining, the strings broke from the inside so i found some cable ties slipped them in and used them, and it worked even better than with the strings, only thing is after a while those broke too. I decided to come inside and i'll try again tomorrow God willing. Atleast I have hope now because I know something works. Hope is great. I like this post because it shows how we can see Gods hand working in our lives, He's always working, little miracles.
ReplyDeleteGuess what I just noticed, why are we doing all the lawn work? Where are the men? LOL...I don't know about you sister, but I find me doing everything and there is no man to help. The husband in my life is the Lord and if it weren't for Him carrying me along, I'd be dying in my tracks, weedwacker and lawnmower running at my feet. LOL. Thanks for coming by Sateigdra...we have sooo much in common.
Deletelol I live with my brother and he doesn't really care much for outdoor work, i honestly don't know why. The only husband in my life is God too, when I know there's yard work to do I just ask the Lord to give the strength.
DeleteThe Lord is the best husband ever. It hurts me to see atheists sling mud about him as if He's our "imaginary friend," "sky wizard," etc. They are so mean and heartless towards us and I wonder if they ever ask themselves why their attitude is so bad. But then I realize, "they are of their father the devil and his bidding they will do." The devil keeps them blinded.
Delete