Step of Faith: Unbelievable Blessings One Year Later

For the Lord is a sun and shield;  the Lord will give grace and glory;

No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

O Lord of Hosts,

Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Ps. 84:11-12

November 14, 2010.  The day that, with fear and trembling, we took our first official step of adoption.

In the next year we would do countless hours of paperwork, and countless hours of praying, crying, and seeking God's face for direction.  We would learn so much about adoption and allow God to teach us His heart for adoption.  We would allow God to wrap us in His love and constantly praise Him for His provision.

It was a year filled with wonder as God did so many miraculous things.  And all the while, He was waiting.

Waiting for November 14, 2011.

Waiting to blow our minds and bring us to our knees in tears and humble thanksgiving.

On Monday morning, November 14, 2011, I received a phone call on my cell phone from a number I didn't recognized.  I didn't answer, assuming it was someone trying to sell me something!  Ding, goes my phone, alerting me that I had a message.  So I checked it, and it was a good thing I was sitting down when I did.

The message was from a lady named Blair.  She said she was from Dave Ramsey's office.  She informed me that she had heard our testimony about how God had used Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University to impact our life.  She then informed me that they wanted to used our testimony in their upcoming LIVE web simulcast of "The Great Recovery" event.  They also were interested in using our testimony in some of the new promotion videos for Financial Peace University.

I am pretty sure I had a heart attack at that very moment.  WHAT?  This can't be happening.  Yes, it was amazing how God rescued our family from financial disaster in 2008.  How He led us to live on a 40 hour paycheck when we receiving an 80 hour paycheck.  How He told us to get out of debt and get an emergency fund with the extra money.  How it took us six months to be debt-free, with a fully funded emergency fund.  How, exactly one month after the last deposit to our emergency fund had been made, all of Tollie's overtime was completely cut out so we only had a 40 hour paycheck.  How God allowed something so potentially disastrous as losing over 50% of our income to actually be a blessing for our family because we got our daddy and husband back.  Yes, this is such an amazing God story, but to hear that Dave Ramsey was interested in it...well, it totally floored us.  And to get this phone call on this day...only God could do it.

But He wasn't done.

That afternoon my phone rang again.  It was a precious friend that I am so thankful God brought into my life.  She told me that she had a gift for us.  She wanted to give us the entire set of  crib bedding and all the accessories for Meilí's nursery. 

I have never been more humbled or touched by a gift before.  This bedding is very special to her, and she wants my baby girl to have it.  Then, to see this bedding, to see that it was exactly what I would have picked out, I was overwhelmed by His goodness.  This Miss Monkey is perfect for Meilí.

And to receive such a call on this day. 

It was as if God was saying, "When you step out in faith to follow Me, even when you are scared and unsure, I am going to bless you beyond anything you can imagine.  I have it all under control, and I am going to provide for you in amazing ways, so DO NOT WORRY."

We serve an amazing God, who has amazing plans for our lives.  These plans are not usually the "safe" thing to do, and they usually require us to step out of our comfort zone.  But if you are willing to step out in faith, no good thing will He withhold from you.  Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

What a mighty God we serve.