Finances, Provision, Tithing

We received an invitation for one of Little K's church friends birthday party. Her party will be in October and is taking place at our favorite Autumn family fun park. I am SO grateful because it usually costs us $80-$100 to do this outing and, instead, it will all be free!! God is providing for us, one step at a time. Praying for us to remain faithful as we wait on His timing for our finances.

The birth center responded to our request for an extended payment plan and have agreed to receive full payment after my due date rather than at 36 weeks. Praise God! We will be signing to have them paid in full ($4600) in April 2014 Right now, it looks like:

• $400/month Sept-Dec
• $750/month Jan-April

I still don't know where all of this money is going to come from. I was able to set aside $200 for September (still not the $400 requested) but then remembered that Little K has a tooth extraction as a part of her ortho treatment on Sept 30th, so that money will be going to pay the pediatric dentist. Hopefully it will be enough to cover her treatment.

I'm seeing the Lord provide for us in October with the $100 above. I've already changed the way I handle our grocery shopping and general spending in order to find the $200/month. I will have an additional $230/month open up in January as my 2012 surgery gets fully paid off. None of this includes the $3600 we need in order to cover my maternity leave.

I am praying for God's timing and provision as I really just don't see anything else to cut. I don't know where it's going to come from. I feel completely lost and helpless. I am working on living and trusting Matthew 6:25-34:

Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to Him than birds.

If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think He’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do His best for you?

What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way He works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how He works.

Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. 

I'm trying so hard to trust that God has a plan for us. As I was writing this post, and even the past few Sunday's at church, I've been thinking about tithing. It seems so counter-intuitive to give away money when you NEED extra funds. God reminded me today:

You ask, ‘How have we robbed you?’ The tithe and the offering—that’s how! And now you’re under a curse—the whole lot of you—because you’re robbing me. Bring your full tithe to the Temple treasury so there will be ample provisions in my Temple. Test me in this and see if I don’t open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams.

Oh, it is so hard!!! Please be praying for us. Please be praying for me to have the strength and courage to begin tithing. Please be praying that my faithfulness in tithing be an encouragement to R to begin doing the same. Please be praying for HIS provision.