provision

a few weeks ago, around the 4th of May, I sent out support letters for my mission trip this summer. i'd signed up to go to Costa Rica again with the youth group at Gateway, but i didn't have the money. i figured if God provided the funds than He was opening the door - and that's what I prayed, that He'd open and close doors, that He'd provide.

the next week I got a week-old letter from the church saying how much money I owed. (since we moved, i've been getting mail late) the letter had a balance on it - saying that i owed $1300 (the trip was $1400 and i had paid a $100 deposit when i signed up - so i had all of the money to raise). I made a face and had the mindset that if the money didn't come in, i wasn't going. i was okay with that, or prepared to be okay with that.

this past week i got another postcard from the church, again it was a week old - it had a balance on it. $550.
i was so excited. in just a couple weeks people had given me $750 dollars to go to Costa Rica.... i was so excited.

that was monday.
yesterday (tuesday) i went to the church to fill out some paperwork, etc. for the trip, and mrs donna opened up another check for me, crunched some numbers, wrote out a list of names of those who had given me money and gave me my final balance - $475.

on the list there were 4 names.

in the past three weeks, 4 couples/families gave $825 to help me go to Costa Rica. that's a lot. that's quick. and knowing the financial crunch that so many are experiencing - that's even more of a sacrifice.

so i'm learning to trust. $1400 is nothing compared to what the Lord has, its a drop in the bucket if that. but it's big for me - it's more than I have. all He asks is that I trust Him - that I seek Him with all of my heart - that I keep my eyes on Him. even though it's much easier for me to worry and stress - trusting Him is so much better.