13/04/2018

Stressed but Blessed

The month of March was a very stressful month for us!
About 9 months ago, my husband brought a little shop in the middle of town to renovate and make into an outreach for the community. He has been working on it ever since. But the end of March was when we needed to pay most of the money to the owner. When we first brought the building, the bank couldn't guarantee that they would lend us the money, so there was a bit of risk involved.
Anyway, when it came to March the bank decided to not lend us any money at all, and we were a little stuck. Only a few people knew about it.
Around the middle of the month, the stress started to get to me--the stress of trying to stretch our money, the mountain of money we needed, and the possibility of having to sell our house and start all over again.
One night at the end of a very busy and physically exhausting week, I came to the end of myself.
I felt like the disciples must have felt when they found themselves in the middle of a frightening storm and Jesus was fast asleep in the boat.
As I was in the shower I cried out to God and asked for His help.
I told Him I felt like I was in a storm and I was scared and needed to feel His presence.
When I came out, I lay on our bed and opened up my favourite devotional. The first thing I read was "Wit's End." It was a poem about how God is there for us when we come to our wit's end. Naturally it caught my attention since that's exactly where I was!
The poem was based on a verse in Psalms. So I decided to look up the verse and read the passage. I was surprised at what I read.
They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end. 
Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. (I had just done that in the shower. Now God had a promise to fulfill.)
He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. (I was just telling God I felt like I was in a storm.)
Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. (This phrase really hit me, because we have named the building, The Little Haven!)
Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! Psalm 107:27-31
Nothing was solved that night, but I had peace and joy. God had confirmed to me that everything was in His hands.
During the last week of March, two cheques came in the mail as donations for the building. The first one was for $60,000. The second one was for $30,000. These two cheques covered most of the cost!
Wow!! One cheque for such a large amount? Amazing. 
But two cheques? Unbelievable!
Great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend. Job 37:5
So, while I've been having a break from blogging, this story is just too good not to share!Talk about a very stressed but truly blessed month!


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