Erin Odom’s (The Humbled Homemaker) new book, More Than Just Making It (releasing on September 5th) has encouraged me to cultivate gratitude and praise God for providing in big and little ways.
Trusting God through the hard times can be our way of establishing more faith in His words trusting he will do as He has promised.
The launch team for this book has been communicating through a Facebook group and each day I’m scrolling through and reading stories just like mine.
This book further strengthens your mind to keep the faith alive that God will always come through for us.
God is providing free food, paid bills, and other surprise gifts to everyone in this group. Erin calls these blessings, “kisses from Jesus” and I love that.
Trusting God Through the Hard Times
“Tough times doesn’t last, tough people do.”
This is one age long saying that has stood the test of time and happens to us now and then.
When you are faced with a difficult time what you need is faith to keep up the time and before you know you are out of it.
Easier said than done one may imagine, truly it is not easy. A step at a time and you see yourself getting through.
Trusting God through the hard times doesn’t get any better than a little faith to keep going.
I am encouraging you to not give up on that adventure, that endeavor, that journey. You are just a step closer.
Be it you are a mom managing your home and family, a working mom finding it difficult to shuffle between work and family, or even a father trying to meet up with responsibilities. I encourage you today to keep the hope alive and the faith going.
Kisses From Jesus
A few months ago, my husband was at a church meeting and I was home with our four little ones. The two-year-old had a massive blowout and I went outside to throw the diaper away.
Out of the corner of my eye, I realized something was there that shouldn’t be. I looked up and saw a fancy grill sitting under our carport. My first thought was, did someone deliver this to the wrong house? Or maybe someone was letting us borrow it for an upcoming get together at our home?
When my husband came home, he went outside and discovered a note inside the grill that said, “Thank you James for all that you do.” Wow, talk about a blessing!
Here’s the thing about my sweet husband; he would never buy a grill with our money. He rarely buys things for himself even with his birthday money, and if he does it’s usually books.
Both of us felt a little strange because we didn’t know who to thank. For days, we struggled with how we could thank someone for this gift when we didn’t even know who had given it to us. It made me think about how sometimes God provides in ways that we aren’t expecting. This gift not only showed my husband that he was appreciated but it reminded both of us of how God can bless in the most unique ways.
This book began to make think about all the ways that God has brought us through in our finances. We’ve chosen to live with less in order for both my husband and I to be home with our children. It’s hard at times but we know that having each other and a home built on God’s Word is so much more important that having the latest gadgets, a big home, or two vehicles.
How Our Circumstances Can Distract Us From the Bigger Picture
When the money isn’t coming in and you are not sure how you will make it by, it can be easy to start complaining. When we begin to focus on things not happening the way we want them to, we lose focus on how God provides in small (and big) ways.
Living on one unpredictable income has allowed my husband and I to trust God now, more than ever. For example, this past Christmas was a hard year for us. We had just had our fourth child and sales were slow. Even though we knew Christmas was about so much more than gifts, we still wanted to provide a few Christmas present for our little ones. And I began to feel guilty about not being able to give family members the gifts they deserve. Should we use our money for family/friends or our children?
In the midst of this struggle, we were blessed with a check to buy Christmas present for our children. This is just one of many examples of how God has provided for us. I’m not saying that God will always give us what we want, but these small (but big) reminders are reassurance that God hears our prayers and He will deliver.
The way that He delivers doesn’t always look the way we want them to, and most of the time we walk away with so much more than money or a gift. We see that time as an answer to prayer, a blessing.
It’s interesting to me that this book is releasing right after the devastating Hurricane Harvey. So many people are without homes, personal items, clothing, etc. and they are suffering like I have never suffered. I see God using people to rescue them and bring them to safety.
I pray for the missionaries that are using this tangible experience of rescue as an opportunity to share the good news of knowing God, and how He rescues us from darkness. Whether we are going through a spiritual battle or a real life crisis, we can rest knowing that God is working and that He will always provide.
Living in a World of Uncertainty
The people of Texas are being tested right now and those people are saying, “God, why me?”. But, truth is, we could lose our homes due to a fire or any other unexpected disaster at any time. And in times like this, it’s easy to blame to God for allowing these things for happening.
But here is what scripture says,
"In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
It’s hard to see God through the devastation that has hit Texas, but He is there, shining His light and love through each volunteer and through even the smallest donation. People all across the U.S. are traveling to Texas to help, to be the hands and feet of Christ.
My hope that even through the hardest trials that we would keep our eyes on Jesus and know that HE ALWAYS PROVIDES.
Whether you don’t have money for groceries or you have lost everything, praise Him through the storm. Know that He is there trying to draw you closer to Him.
