Wednesday, September 18, 2013

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:


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.

4 comments:

  1. Oh girl, love your desire to tithe - I'm doing a guest post on this exact topic on Friday (faithfulness in tithing)! Lord, we lift up Danielle and ask that you would continue to remind her what your word says about tithing - we thank you that you provide for our every need and that you never put is in a situation too hard for us. I ask for your provision Lord, that you would guide her and her family with their finances that they would continue to be wise and spend where you desire. I pray that their desire with their money is to please you and that all attacks the enemy gives them would be broken off in Jesus' name! Amen!

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    1. *tears* Thank you so much, Caroline. Your encouragement means so much to me!

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  2. Love to see the provision starting-- praying for more to come!!

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  3. Danielle, love this post so much and can relate to it everyday. I pray that you continue to be faithful in your giving and know that your gifts and sacrifices to God do not go unnoticed.
    Thank you so much for this part "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." This is exactly what I needed to hear today and I am going to remind myself of this daily. Praying for ya girl!

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