So, Charles has become addicted to blogging! I have tried to stay away from it since I returned to work full time because my spare time is pretty much OVER! BUT...I had to share!
Last Friday, Charles was off playing softball and I was home paying bills. (Uggh!) I was really stressing about HOW in the world we are going to come up with all of the adoption fees that are quickly coming due. Several years ago, we started faithfully tithing after a message we heard at church. The pastor illustrated the tithing principle with 10 apples. He explained that God gives us all 10 "apples", and He only asks that we give him back the FIRST 1 of the 10 apples. (10%) He pointed out that most people try to tithe AFTER all the other bills are paid, then usually run out of "apples" to actually tithe. He pointed out that God asks us to give back our FIRST 10%, not our last. He said that tithing is the only thing in the Bible that God says we can test Him in.
At the time, I had figured the budget every possible way, but never came up with 10% left over to tithe with. I went home that night and tried something new. I wrote out a list of the bills due at each pay period, but this time, I listed "tithe" as the FIRST "bill" to be paid from each check. Don't ask me how, but when I got to the bottom of the list of bills for each check, there was enough. Not lots of extra, but enough. I made Charles check my math because when I figured the SAME bills multiple times before without the tithe written in first, I never came up with 10% left to give back. Hmmm....
Since that time, we have always tithed first before paying any bills or buying any groceries. Somehow, we have always had what we needed. Again...not rolling in dough...but never late on a single bill and never without food on the table.
So back to Friday night...I was nearly in a state of panic about how we will pay for the adoption. I let a thought creep into my brain about maybe not tithing for awhile and putting that money toward the fees. I quickly talked myself out of it because I figured that robbing God would probably not be a good plan. I reminded myself that He has always provided, and I paid the tithe first, like always.
Later that night, Charles came home with an envelope and told me to look inside. It was a generous check from 2 dear friends as a contribution to the Bring Kennedy Home fund! I nearly fainted! It was as close as I have come to God actually speaking to me in an audible voice! Hours before, I had considered NOT tithing and using that money for adoption fees. After realizing that was NOT the answer, and faithfully tithing...we received a check for more than the check I had written as a tithe!!! Though we can't see how the money will come at this point, God showed us that it will!
We know that we personally do not have all the money we will need to complete this journey, but God put it in these friends' hearts to help. We have to believe that He will put the same desire in the hearts of others to help as well. Please pass our blog and our story along to anyone you know who might have a heart for adoption and may want to contribute to help us bring Kennedy home. There is a "chip in" bar on the blog page. EVERY bit helps!
If any of you can relate to financial struggles, I strongly recommend tithing! You will be amazed!
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