How Our G-d Has Provided For Our Every Need!

Last week a friend said to me that she was incredibly encouraged as she has watched HaShem move mountains for our family to journey to Israel on our Service Trip. That statement got me to reflect on just how wonderfully He has provided and made the way for us! Let me tell you a little about how great our G-d is!

My husband was unemployed for nearly 9 months this past year. This was the first time in several years that he was eligible for unemployment checks because up till the year prior, he had been self-employed. So for 9 months he searched for work in a nearly dead industry – construction. During that time we received a very small check every week to help us get by, but that check was woefully inadequate to even begin to pay the mortgage let alone meet the rest of our needs. How on earth would we save any money to get to Israel this fall? It seemed insurmountable! But we knew that this was something that the Father had called us to do – so we set our hands to do whatever He put before us. It was a season of G-d Math all over again!

In those 9 months, and for the last two months since DH has found employment again, the Father has blessed the work of our hands and made a way for my husband and my son to travel to Israel this winter for 5 weeks to help with the pruning in the vineyards of Judea & Samaria.  A year ago when DH told me that he felt that he and our son needed to participate in the pruning trip last February, I was glad but knew that the trip was 4 months away and we had no money set aside.  So we set out to do what we could.  Together we made projects to sell during the holiday season.  Many of my readers remember the aprons, bags, puzzles, “That’s My Pan” and other things we did to raise funds.  I dedicated all the income from my Ancient Paths, Naturally! business to go toward their trip.  And we knew that if this was truly His calling for us that my men would be in Israel for as long as He wanted them there.  We didn’t expect they’d be there for 5 weeks!  We anticipated 2 or 3 weeks.  But HaShem knew…  The night before they were scheduled to leave in January, we awoke to several checks stuffed into our door that brought us to almost 100% of what we needed for this trip.  What a total and complete surprise!!  By the time they came home we still had $100 in our Israel account and that became our seed  money for our family trip this fall.

When the guys returned in March, my husband still couldn’t find work.  The kids were working, but he was struggling to find odd jobs to do to make ends meet.  Instead of a time of stress, this time this was a season of preparation and peace.  In years past unemployment has brought with it a sense of struggle, fear and inadequacy.  This time we knew it was a time to get other tasks accomplished and spend time together as a family.  We knew that in the right time that HaShem would provide just what we needed, and all of us were able to rest in that together for the first time.

Every week we would save a little money toward our trip – usually only $40.  The kids put part of their paychecks into the pot and all of my Shaklee earnings went into the pot as well.  Every time I’d make a deposit at the bank and look at the total I’d wonder “How did we get so much?”  It always seemed like there was more money in that account than I remembered there being last time.  I even examined the statements for strange deposits, but there weren’t any.  There were times when things were very tight and we considered, even for a moment, using our Israel fund to buy groceries or pay the bills.  But we didn’t.  This time around I was too busy to do much sewing, and there weren’t many orders.  I had hoped to be able to set up a booth at a local market each week and talk to people about our trip and sell our wares.  But the market changed their days of operation to Saturdays, which meant that we would not have a table there.  I was quite disappointed and wondered how we’d ever make it, but I knew that He knew and if He wanted us to go that He’d make it work.  Still, I was quite disappointed that this arrangement didn’t work out because I had put so much planning and hope into it.  Oh well…

Now, here we are – leaving in less than 3 weeks.  We’ve earned/saved/raised 98% of our financial need to travel to Israel for 7 weeks and all of our basic needs have been met!  Baruch HaShem!!  All I can say to you is that if you feel that the King of the Universe has called you to do something and it seems impossible, just commit to doing it and put one foot in front of the other.  Begin to do something, whatever it is you can think of.  He can’t bless the work of your hands if you’re not working!  Think of it – the pruning trip financed primarily through sewing bags and aprons, and a few gifts from friends & family.

So, how have we earned over $17,000 for this fall?  Truly, I’m not sure.  There were less than 10 sewing orders and 3 friends/family members who contributed more than $500, for a grand total of 21 sponsors (several contributing $20).  The bulk of the money we’ve saved has come from odd jobs and our own contributions but we didn’t have much money to set aside and there weren’t many odd jobs.  The only answer to how this trip has been fully paid for is HaShem and His rich blessings.  He truly has moved mountains and made a way for us to do this thing that each of us feel so passionate about.  How blessed we are!!!  (aw shucks, there I go bawling…)

And adding to that is the joy of being able to fulfill some commandments, even if we can only do so much.  You see, we’ve sold this year’s crop of beef and lamb and we’ve tracked each first-born of the flock and herd.  A few weeks ago the Torah Portion spoke of taking your tithes to Jerusalem and eating your tithes with joy, and of taking the firstborn of the flock and herd to Jerusalem.  And we know that we’re to take along our tithes to Jerusalem for the festivals and eat them there with great joy as well.  Can you believe that we actually get to do this?!?!  We have the funds from the sales of our beef and lamb (noting who is the first born and what their sales prices are as well), and we are taking the necessary  money as our festival spending money.  Sukkot in Jerusalem! Can you believe it?  That Sabbath a few weeks ago when we read Parshah Re’eh and all looked at one another with absolute joy and discussed that we can actually do this was such a thrill!!  I can tell you that I wasn’t the only one with tears in my eyes.  The joy of fulfilling these mitzvot was great, but the joy I felt when I saw the excitement and joy in the eyes of my kids was enough to make my heart burst.  (and there I go bawling again…)

G-d is good.  Really, if you know He wants you to do a particular thing and you think it’s absolutely impossible – don’t talk yourself out of what He has in store for you.  Evaluate what you are able to do and set yourself to doing it.  I’ve heard people say this before and I’ve experienced this truth before as well, but not quite like this.  If I can leave you with anything, may it be encouragement to do what He’s called you to do, and with great joy!!  We’re so excited to see what He has in store for us on our journey and when we return home!!