Life is full of God stories – the stories in which something happens that could only or are clearly orchestrated by God, testimony of the impossible made possible, or simply a praise report of thanksgiving to our faithful Father. I don’t believe in coincidence because I know I serve a God who is involved in every level of detail in my life. This includes bringing about circumstances or conditions or outcomes that are beyond my comprehending or knowing, but as the Lord says in Isaiah 55:9, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher then your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
In times both in and out of the disaster field, God stories abound, and volunteers at ADRN thrive on God Stories. In fact, it states clearly in Revelation 12:11 just how powerful a God story is against the accuser of the brethren: “…they overcome him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony…” We were made to be encouraged by the word of our testimony, our praise reports, our God stories.
Here are a few God stories that increase my faith and make me smile to think who’s really in charge.
Gratitude & Blessings!
// 07-07-17 Blessing of food for the hungry!
Praise God that He knits us all together so that we may bless one another! This summer, I wasn’t supposed to teach, but as it turned out, I ended up teaching a service learning course for the Japanese program I’ve taught for the past 5 years. As part of the course, my students organized and carried out a very successful food drive for Caritas. I picked up all the food from them on a Friday, but as it turns out, Caritas was not open for donations. I took all the boxes and bags home to keep it all in the A/C. I go to the HOPE Prayer Room to worship and seek the Lord, and as it turns out, a woman needed a ride home to South Austin – I gave her a ride, found out that she was hurting for groceries. I found out what this woman liked to eat, and the next day was able to bless her with two huge bags of groceries, not even making a dent in the 150+ lbs of food that was actually donated to Caritas on Monday morning. Yeah God for putting the resources in my hands at the right time and putting me in the right place to bless this sweet woman! : )
// April to July
***There have been so many God stories, and I am so sorry to not have written them down. Lord, bring them to remembrance that I may add them here as they are recalled. : )
// 04-14-17 Blessing of cold A/C air in the Texas heat!
Praise God this happened before the intense blast of summer, but my A/C went out about three weeks ago, and I had wondered how I was going to fix it before the heat was ratcheted up to triple digits. When I got it priced out, the consensus for the repairs by two separate mechanics was around $700. I didn’t have $700+ lying around, but I trusted that the Lord would provide. As it turned out, when I did my taxes, I got a refund this year instead of owing, and guess how much the return was? Yep, just a little bit over the required amount. God is good – He provides in His time. I had other plans on how to spend that return, but I know that the Lord will provide for those plans in another way. Yeah God!
// 04-12-17 from Laura & Brent
I had just sent out my email to family and friends, one friend couple being Laura and Brent, whom I’d met through volunteering at ADRN. She texted me to congratulate me and let me know that they had received my email. They were praying to the Lord to show them confirmation about their decision to sow into my ministry, and the Lord provided them Philippians 4:3 (NKJV): “And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names [are] in the Book of Life.” As Laura said, it is truly amazing “how awesome our Lord is and how He is able to reach down and pinch our cheeks” – He is a good, good Father! The Lord later spoke to Brent and pointed him to Romans 16:1-2 (NKJV): “I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.” I praise God for His confirmations! I thank you, Laura and Brent, for supporting my ministry and sharing with others as well the opportunity to partner with me! Blessings to you both!