Stand Back!

I forget sometimes who I serve.  I forget that He is known for great and amazing things and that my piddly requests are nothing to him, in the sense that it is easy to answer prayers.

Now, I know my God is not a genie, that I go to when I want something.  But, sometimes I forget He is my Heavenly Father, who loves me tremendously and would move heaven and earth for me.  little, me.

I mean, for goodness sake, his beloved son paid my price for eternity.  Wow.

So, I forget sometimes (okay, often) that He really desires for me to lay my burdens down.  To put them at his feet.  And to walk around a “free” woman.

I have not felt very free lately.

I don’t want to go into too many details for all of you – simply because there are many, and I do not have time. 

Last weekend, I put a name to my feelings lately.  Financial Bondage. 

We just finished Dave Ramsey.  I thought we would be good by now.  But man!  I feel like we are never going to get out of the place we are in.  I should say, it is not a terrible place.  We have a great home.  We eat well.  And we are all clothed.  But I have been scrounging money for the book fair.  You know?  And scrounge I did!!

So anyway, while at the bookfair I went to a seminar (I did not want to go to) about Entrepreneurship for our kids.  Honestly I remarked how “that is what so many are telling us [homeschoolers] to do – teach our kids to be entrepreneurs, but they cannot all do that – some need to find regular jobs.”  God laughed I think when I said that.  He knew what was coming.

So I went, listened and woke up!!  Got some great ideas, started turning some rusted wheels and I felt the first loosening of the chains.

Then, I went back to the same man, different talk, but more of the same – empowerment. 

Now, I should say, I have been praying about our finances for months.  I know it will take time, and it will happen –> being debt free again.  But I can be impatient (so they say).  So I have been praying.  For relief most of all- just enough room to breathe.  And God has answered in some crazy ways – tractor from an uncle, meat from a friend, and more…

But last weekend God woke me up.  He did – not Bob Farewell – not the bookfair.  But god.

He does not want me to live in Financial Bondage.  He wants me to be a free woman.  And I believe this is true in every area of our lives.  He has called us to live free – because the price has already been paid.  We are not to be in bondage to anyone or anything.  So I said – enough is enough!

This morning we spent 4 hours in Athens (15 minutes from my house) selling bread at the Farmer’s Market!  It cost $10.  And I sold 15 loaves of bread, 4 bags of rolls, 6 jumbo pecan rolls, and 12 regular pecan rolls.  All of it.  I came home without bread!  Woohoo!!

 

I made about $100 – for 4 hours.  I did make the bread the day before, but I like to make bread, so I do not mind some baking to get ready for a morning like this.  I like to talk to people too and the Farmer’s Market is a great place to do that!  Win – Win for me!

And guess what?  My boys are inspired. 

They sold water (for our Water Buffalo Fund for Gospel for Asia) and made $20 – and they sold para-cord bracelets & key chains and made $10. 

It was slow today – it was chilly all morning.  So I know it will get better – but they were happy & helpful!!  And they are learning how to sell something, how to approach people, and how to work & earn some money on their own. 

So, a week after the chains started to loosen, I feel SOOO much freer – I think a few shackles fell off this morning.  I came home with $100 of our needed $350 for camp!!   God is amazing! 

I do not think he is an “ask” and “receive” God.  But he wants me to be free in Him.  And he is really blessing my efforts to get out of the financial situation we are in, and that is so great!!  So sometimes I need to remember to stand back and let HIM be God.  Trust Him!  Today I did and he blessed us!