A Year of Blessing-January

Being that it's now a new year, I've been reviewing the past year and trying to remember all the ways God came through for us last year. Lest I forget, recall with me (over the next several posts) as I look back at 2009:

January-We drove to NC to bring half of our things since we knew we'd be moving here in February, but had nowhere yet to live. We got a storage unit for our stuff and while "on vacation" here for a week, looked for a place to rent. Now remember, I had been working in FL, but neither Aron nor I had gotten a job yet in NC, so finding someone who'd rent to us with no income, other than the $600 a month we'd raised in support, was sure to be difficult.

Jason, our pastor here, asked the congregation to keep their ears open for jobs/houses for us, and a couple came up to us after church that Sunday. They let us know they had a house to sell and would love for us to come look at it, but I assured them we were in no place to buy anything. They still wanted us to come look so we agreed to meet them there that evening. We really liked the house (it was built in 1900 so it has lots of character) but it was really big, over 2300 sq.ft. and the places we had been looking at in the $700 price range which was all we'd be able to afford (we were believing Aron would get a job very soon) were small duplexes or townhouses, so we were sure this house was not going to be our new home. When we told the owners that we couldn't afford more than $700 a month, they countered us with, get this, "How about $650?"

What?! They went DOWN in the price?! Who does that? Why? But we believe that God had it already planned out. We knew that He was leading us to Greenville, NC and that although it didn't look possible, He was going to provide what we needed. And He definitely didn't disappoint! "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26

Well, we went back to FL to finish out the month. I was teaching at Summerfield Elementary and was concerned about my replacement being found before we moved the first week of February. I was so excited about moving but was sad to think my class of 3rd graders would be left without a suitable teacher. I really didn't want a sub in there, but I also knew that there wasn't much of a chance that a teacher would be found in the middle of the school year. Then came God, weaving the story of our lives. It just so happened (yeah right!) that there was a teacher who had moved away the year before for her husband's job change had moved back to the area and had called Summerfield to see if there were any available jobs. The crazier thing was that all the "stuff" that was in my classroom when I got the job at the beginning of that school year was all from her last classroom! She was hired and was even able to come in for a couple days before I left so that she could meet the kids and they could get to know her a little while I was still there. I was so thankful that a good, qualified teacher would be finishing out the year with my students. Again, an unbelieveable answer!

I am so humbled by recalling just the first month of 2009. Wow, it's still hard to believe how God came through for us! What an awesome God we serve! Stay tuned for more....