There’s no doubt about it. God always comes through.
I’ve seen it play out in my own life more times than I can count.
Yet, there’s usually some sort of action required on my part. He often asks me to step out in faith BEFORE he shows up.
Before I see exactly where that step might lead. Before I see the answer to my prayer.
The power of faith in God is weaved throughout my story. And each time I’ve chosen to trust him with the unknown, he’s proved himself faithful.
In fact, he almost always surprises me with something bigger and better than I ever could have drummed up on my own. Even more importantly, he’s used every one of those situations to draw me closer to him.
To teach me to trust him more.
A new season…
One of those circumstances occurred shortly after our first child was born. My husband and I agreed long before starting a family that I wouldn’t work full-time in the early years of raising children.
We knew it would require sacrifice and a different kind of lifestyle. But we were willing to make the trade.
Yet when the time actually came to make that decision, it wasn’t as easy as I’d hoped.
I was teaching full-time when we became pregnant with our daughter. We decided I would step down from that job at the end of the school year.
It seemed logical that I would stay at home. That’s what we’d planned.
AT a crossroads…
But when the time came, I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around the reality of what our plan might actually look like.
I found purpose in my job. I’d put in years of education, a healthy sum of money, and an immeasurable amount of hard work to get to where I was.
It was difficult to let go.
On the other hand, I knew becoming a mother would bring a whole new kind of purpose. And deep down, I knew it was about more than just quitting my job.
If I was honest, I was more concerned about our finances. It seemed impossible to take my paycheck out of the picture, add a baby, and still keep our budget out of the red.
When we put it down on paper, my fears were confirmed. Even with several different lifestyle changes, it didn’t look like we could make ends meet.
But we felt like God was leading me away from full-time work and towards being home with our new family. What were we going to do?
Read “A Journey to Surrender“ about the blessing found in giving God control of your life.
A compromise…
I began to look into part-time jobs and found an option to teach preschool at a local church. It was only two and a half days a week. And when our daughter was born, she could attend a daycare program in the same building.
The salary wasn’t much. But it was just enough to add to my husband’s income and cover the bare necessities of daily life.
I took the leap and we made the transition. The requirements were much less demanding than my full-time job. The atmosphere was perfect and the staff wonderful.
Shortly after I began working there, our daughter was born. She appeared to thrive in her new classroom.
It seemed like the perfect fit. And it was.
For a season.
But then spring rolled around and it was time to sign contracts for the next school year. I began to sense a surprising problem. For some reason, I felt very unsettled about returning.
I had no idea why. Everything was going well.
But I knew this feeling. It was familiar. God was gently speaking to my heart.
And he seemed to be leading me away from that school and towards staying at home. Full-time.
In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s what he’d wanted all along. But he knew I wasn’t ready the year before. So, he was patient with my “halfway obedience” and blessed me with a great job while he waited.
But now it was time. I could feel it.
A difficult decision…
I laid everything on the table for my husband. The facts and the emotions. The pros and cons of the decision.
He had one simple question.
Do you think God is telling you to quit working?
When I responded yes, his answer was quick and to the point.
Okay. Then quit.
To say that I admired his faith and appreciated his support would have been an understatement. He is pretty amazing.
But it wasn’t that cut and dried for me. Our budget didn’t look all that different from the same time last year. Except we’d added all the expenses that come with a baby!
It didn’t make sense on paper. We would need a few hundred dollars each month just to make ends meet.
Yet I couldn’t shake the feeling this was the right thing to do. And I knew from experience that regardless of my doubts, following God’s lead is always the best choice.
It was the only way I would truly be at peace.
So, I summoned my courage and sat down with my supervisor to discuss my resignation.
Read my resource, “11 Powerful Verses About Walking in Faith“ for help on trusting God in every situation.
God shows up once again…
We definitely took a step of faith that day. And just as he always has and always will, God took care of us.
Looking back, I can’t put my finger on exactly how he did it. My husband didn’t get a huge promotion. We never found an envelope of money waiting in our mailbox.
There was no miraculous answer to our lack of resources.
Yet each month, we had enough. Sometimes it was an unexpected bonus from my husband’s employer. On other occasions a bill was reduced without explanation.
But each time we sat down to complete our budget, we were always able to make end meet.
That season lasted for about a year. I eventually took another part-time job where I could work mostly from home. And my husband received a promotion and pay raise.
Then we added another child. A few years later we relocated, which caused us to live on one income once again. And a few more years down the road, I returned to part-time work.
Through all the changes in our income, God has never failed to provide for our family. What began as a step of faith, turned into a repeated example of his faithfulness.
A lesson on the power of faith in god…
Reflecting on our financial journey, I still believe God wanted me at home. I was able to take full advantage of those fleeting years of early childhood.
But I’m pretty sure that’s not all he was up to.
You see, I’ve always struggled with trusting God with our finances. So, when he spoke to me all those years ago about quitting my job, I don’t think it was just about our children.
He was working on my heart. He knew I had a trust problem. And he wanted to grow my faith.
Because my ultimate provider is not my husband, myself, or any combination of jobs we will ever have.
Our source of provision will always be found in him.
When we made that decision, it didn’t seem to make any sense. The budget didn’t add up. Our current income wasn’t enough to support our family.
But one step of faith was all it took to change our circumstances.
God used that situation to remind me that a step of faith is all it ever takes. To change anything.
Read “When One Step of Faith Changes Everything“ for another story on the power of faith in God.
A reminder for the future…
Little did I know at the time, but God would revisit that lesson time and again in our future. He knew that reminder to live by the power of faith in God would be important for our family.
We’ve had to trust God for provision more times than I can count. And not only that, but we’ve stepped out of our comfort zone in all different areas of our life.
He’s called us to make scarier decisions and take even more risks than we ever could have imagined. Leaps of faith that make that one choice almost a decade ago seem small.
I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been able to walk through those experiences if it hadn’t all started with one tiny step. A step that allowed me to witness his supernatural power to take care of everything.
That’s one of the amazing things about God.
He knows us so well that he’s willing to meet us right where we’re at.
And he loves us so much that he patiently engineers our circumstances to grow our faith while he gets us where we need to be.
The adventure is waiting…
I may always struggle a bit with trusting God to have complete control of my life. But I’m thankful for how far I’ve come. And to be honest, a little scared about what he may ask us to do next.
Because faith never leads to a boring, predictable life. Quite the opposite in fact!
And I”m grateful for that. Life is too short to live safe.
It should be an adventure. And I can say from experience…with God it always is.
Have you seen the power of faith in God change your circumstances? Or are you on the verge of taking a step of faith right now? I’d love to hear your story! Please share in the comments below.
I’m so fascinated with the teaching on the power of faith and the example made it so understandable and daring. It has created a surge of fire to want to take the risk…
I’m challenged to take the bold step of faith to the next miracle of my life in God.
Thanks and God bless you Sela Homes
I’m so glad this story has encouraged you to take a step of faith. I pray for continued boldness and faith as you watch what God does next!