A Christmas Miracle
Perhaps the hardest step of faith in my Christian walk was learning how to give. I saw that the Bible, God's Word, was full of sowing and reaping. Giving when we did not have much was a real test of faith. God's Word says to give, so I gave. Over the years I have been blessed again and again. I call these blessings, "miracles." The first miracle went like this.
Our children were young and our income was modest. Christmas was a month away and there was no money for gifts. When we told the children the situation they said it was okay. I scraped up enough money to bake cookies and decided I would give them as gifts to my family. A week or so later I started to bake. I had flour, sugar, and cookie sheets all over the kitchen when the door bell rang. Much to my surprise there stood my pastor. I invited him in. He said, "Why didn't you tell me you were having a hard time?" He handed me a check for $500. In the 1970's that was a lot of money. I know it was an answer to prayer. We had a wonderful Christmas! It was a confirmation of Luke 6:39, "Give and it shall be given unto you..."
That was a long time ago, but it was the beginning of a wonderful journey with the Lord and living according to His principles. What He tells us to do is a challenge to obedience, and when we obey we are blessed. Try it, you will like it!
Bea Peltier
God Secured Our Future
In 1982, the church was going through the most difficult financial crisis in its history. The new building was uncompleted, contractors were owed over $500,000 and the church had no mortgage commitment to finish the job. When a bank finally agreed to give the church a mortgage, it was conditioned upon the church receiving pledges of $300,000. We were newly married and just starting our careers. Even so, Beth and I made a pledge we really could not afford, but one that we felt God called us to make. It would mean continuing to drive old cars, no vacations and cutting back on other expenses.
Within days of making the pledge, I received an offer for a new job I had not even applied for. The new job included a pay raise several times greater than our pledge. More importantly, that job launched my career in many different ways leading to financial and personal blessings over the last 25 years. God not only met our present need, he secured our future.
We have often looked back at that time in our lives; a time that was filled with so much fear and uncertainty, and have marked it as a milestone in our Christian walk. After that step of faith, giving was never a struggle for us and God continues to bless us with the ability to be generous to the Kingdom.
Brad and Beth Martin
It All Started With A Sacrificial Gift
As a Bible College student in the 70's, Pat and I did not have much in the way of financial security. We moved from Massachusetts to Central Florida in my grandmother's 1965 Chevy with two suitcases and our Afghan hound to attend Southeastern Bible College.
During one of our chapel services we were challenged to make a sacrificial gift. At that time I felt that we should give $50 per month towards the need. We wondered where we would get the extra $600 when we barely had enough for groceries. Pat and I prayed about it even though we did not have the resources, we were learning to trust the Lord. We were planning on becoming missionaries and we were being prepared for our ministry. In the middle of making our decision about the sacrifice we were being asked to make, the Lord spoke to my heart and said, "If you can not give of your finances how can you give me your life? Trust me."
God helped us to honor the commitment we made and I know we would not have become missionaries or be where we are now if we were not able to give of our resources then.