“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,”
Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)
I’ve been talking a lot lately about the trial my family has walked through since January…or June 2013. However, God has shown me so many ways He loves His children, I can’t help but share them with you to offer encouragement during challenges you may be facing.
Summer of 2013 began our journey of transition surrounding my income. About three months into that trial, I learned of a good friend who lost her job due to cutbacks and her response was amazing. God had reassured her ahead of time that He had this…she didn’t have any details but she knew it would be okay. Within two weeks, she had two great job offers as well as severance pay that would allow her to be at home and refresh after some hard years. I hate to admit it, but my first response was jealousy. Why was God helping her and I was stuck? He had always given me replacement income in the past – why did He seem slower this time around? I kept reminding myself that He loves us all the same so what He is doing for her, He is willing to do for me and my family as well. I got over my jealousy and concentrated instead on listening to His voice and being obedient to what He was telling me. He wasn’t being silent during this time, just not telling me what I necessarily thought I needed to hear.
January 2015: I was told I had 26 days left before my job would be phased out. However, this time as I spoke about in Adventures Can Be Scary, God spoke to me the day before (like He had my friend in the fall of 2013) I received the email, reminding me of specific promises He had given me in 2013 and 2014, plans and hopes for a good future for my family. Then for two weeks after, on a daily basis, God reassured me He was taking care of us. While I didn’t hear specifics from Him on what path I was to be taking to prepare for new income, I was hearing reassurance from multiple sources that He would take care of us.
God showed me on January 22nd and again on January 25th through three individuals the way He takes care of His children. These three families were being blessed by God in ways that were above and beyond the “ordinary.” The blessings couldn’t be explained in any other way except through divine intervention. This time, unlike my gut reaction in 2013 of jealousy and feeling sorry for myself, I was genuinely happy for them. I have learned over the past two years that when God states in the Bible He doesn’t change, He loves us all equally, and He is willing and wants to take care of His children, He isn’t lying. So when I hear testimonies now of people who have been extraordinarily blessed by God, I can praise Him with them because I know He will take care of us too.
I may not know the details of how or when He will provide, but I can rest in peace knowing the answer has already been determined and He has only the best in mind for His children. I’m so glad God loves us all the same – and I’m even more blessed to know He’s my daddy who loves to take care of His children. Come back next time to find out a different way we are blessed when God blesses others.
© Cheri Swalwell 2015