Trusting in God - update

I was laid off from my job at the end of September, when the company suffered 
from the economic downturn. 
When it came time to pay my bills out of that final paycheck I prayed a quick 
prayer " Dear Lord, I am afraid, but I am going to continue paying my tithe to 
you. I am going to trust you to take care of my finances. Thank you Amen. 
 
Two months later, when paying bills out of un-employement income, I noticed I 
still had the same amount in my checking account that I had on the day I 
deposited my final paycheck. I frantically went back over my checkbook and bank 
account and could find no errors. Frustrated I took a break and went to my Bible 
and to pray. 
 
 My devotions that day was 1 Kings 17:10-16. The story of the widow who gave her 
last bit of oil and flour to feed Gods servant Elijah. The widow was in 
obedience to God and God fed her and her son and Elijah and God provided enough 
oil and flour until the famine was over. 
 
I have to tell you, rarely do I feel God speaks to me so directly, but with 
tears running down my face I praised and thanked God for his mercy and for 
keeping my flour and oil full until my personal famine was over. 
 
 For  seven and a half months, my God kept my flour and oil from running out. I 
have not paid one bill late and I promise, that little unemployment payment, 
while welcome, does not cover my bills, groceries, gas, etc!. Isn't God Great!? 
 
After this lesson in trust, a still small voice kept coming to me.. you need to 
increase your tithe to 15%. "What Lord? no way! you must be joking! I am only 
feeding myself because You are helping me!"... "oh, yeah, there is that trust 
and faith thing and I suppose out of unemployment, 15% really isn't all that 
much, and it is your money after all. Ok Lord.. whatever you say, whatever you 
want me to do I will do". 
 
Then what happens? My pastor gets up in church and announces we need to make 
some improvements to the church and not only that, it is A Beautiful Thing! 
 
But smug in my giving, I was confident this doesn't mean me. Maybe I would throw 
some loose change that direction or once I was employed I might contribute, but 
remember? I am unemployed! but no.. God doesn't always let us get away with that 
kind of thinking does He? That still small voice kept speaking in my heart.. you 
can give and this is what I want you to give every month to make the church 
building A Beautiful Thing.. Trust in me. It is My money I allow you to have, 
and you spend that much in extras every month anyway. " ok Lord, whatever you 
say <sigh>" 
 
Then at the Beautiful Thing banquet, while the Pastor was speaking, a rather 
large dollar figure ( large to me) popped into my head. Inwardly I chuckled, " 
Yeah Lord, if you will help me get a job, I could give that kind of money to the 
campaign. God immediately smacked me on back of the head and asked me " are you 
really trying to make deals with me? where do you think your money comes from? 
Haven't I been faithful to you? 
 
" oops " uh No Lord, I was just joking.." but that figure wouldn't go away. I 
couldn't sleep. I kept waking up finding I was talking to God in my sleep. I 
begged, I pleaded. i asked Lord, Please seriously, you don't mean for me to give 
so much do you? I may need that money, after all, I can't seem to find a job 
and... maybe it is me and you don't really mean for me to give so much" ( you 
would think I would learn by now wouldn't you? )" Lord, how about I go to sleep 
and if I remember all this in the morning, I will write the check." 
 
Bright and way earlier than I wanted to be up after little sleep, before my feet 
hit the carpet, that same dollar figure popped into my head.. so I bowed my head 
and said " ok Lord, I give in. I know you want me to give that amount to the 
Church. 
When i paid my bills that afternoon, for the first time I had to dip into my 
savings account. I was flabbergasted! "What! God! you let me down! you have kept 
me financially safe for 7.5 months and now you are forgetting me after you ask 
for so much money?!"  and i have to say I am ashamed. God in no way let me down. 
I had two interviews for the following week.. this week. 
 
The recruiter called me the same day I interviewed and told me " You really 
wowed them Sheila, both the owner and the supervisor emailed me to tell me you 
were hands down the one they want to hire." I haven't been told when to report 
to work, as they are doing the background checks but I suspect I will be back in 
the ranks of the employed by Monday. 
 
This isn't the job with the fancy title that i had before or that I envisioned 
for myself, but I think/hope i have learned my lesson about trusting in Him and 
having faith He has a plan for me and it is way better than anything I could do 
on my own, all I have to do is trust and obey. 
 
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who 
love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 
 
I thank God for Pastor Tom and for Hillcrest Baptist, you are right, she is 
a Beautiful Thing