Contentment and testing

This past year has been very challenging for me. God has taught me so much. I am extremely grateful to him. It would seem that I am in the process of learning to be content. Paul talks about knowing the secret to being content whether in want or having plenty. Well this past year has been shy of plenty. We are sort of in the middle, or maybe slightly above being needy.

I want to snapshot what God has been teaching me in this journey.

Contentment

My stove had some wierd heating troubles. The elements had a mind of their own. One day they would work, the next they wouldn't. One element accually would shut down the main breaker when we would turn it on. Back in October a freind of mine gave me a stove that he didnt need. We brought it home, put my old stove outside where it rained for two days straight, and installed the new stove. Three days after we had the stove, the oven quit and hasn't worked since. (At Christmas we put chicken nuggets in the oven at 11:00 AM and at 1:00 they were warm.)Needless to say we make a lot of stove top dinners. You sure notice it when you have no oven. Again I could get frustrated that we have no oven, but I am being challenged to see the positive and be content with a stove that 1/2 works. I don't know when we will replace it but I am trusting God to provide one. I will speak on that later. It is amazing how we get so caught up on things. God has promised that he will provide everything for me....and he will.

In September while at a housing co-op meeting someone smashed out the rear window of my van. At first sight, I really had no emotion. Yes I was dissapointed that it happenned, but my heart was at peace. I remember driving home saying to God "well God I guess we need to fix your van" (I always prayerfully give my vehicles to God to protect them and care for them when I purchase them). The next day I went out and replaced the window to the tune of $450. It was alot, but I knew that we needed to replace it so we did. (at that time I had some available credit to use) A few days later someone came to our door and put $400 in my wifes hands and said that it was toward the van window....wow we were prepared to withdraw some invested emergency $.

In early November while working someone again broke out my rear window. (I must have forgotten to tip someone) I had no extra money at the time so I said to God "Well I guess I need to cover it up and wait because I have no extra money to fix it. So I covered it up and waited to see how God was going to care for that need. I was already working an extra 24 hours per week to get caught up on a power bill that we got at our year end settlement. A good freind of our's talked to some people, who talked to some peolpe and they raised some funds to assist us. I tell you it was extremly humbling. I was so amazed that God was again taking car of our need. (I felt in my spirit that I was not to go into debt over it.)

I went almost two months without a window. We had the money by mid December but circumstances held us back from getting it fixed. Then the first week in January I called the autoglass place and got set up to get my van in. That very day I went out to my van which was parked in the parkade at work and my passenger window was smashed out and someone had stolen some item's. I felt numb. I had no emotion. I accually felt like crying. I was beginning to think that something was not right in my life. Maybe sin? Maybe judgement? It was a low moment but after talking with some wise friends I came to my senses. I wasnt angry though. I was just bewildered. The next day I went out and replaced the passenger window, then the following day the rear window. God is so good at taking care of us. I accually believe that he was testing our character. The following question entered my heart. "Am I still a good, kind and awsome God when trouble hits?" My answer...Yes you are!!!

These things could take a toll on a large family but we are trying as best that we can to seek God and trust him for things in our life.

Have I learned the secret of being content....not yet, but I thank God for the material troubles that we have been facing because he is getting the credit for getting us out, and for helping us through. Be it his Grace or mercy I do not know but he is faithful and will take care of things on our behalf as we trust in him.

Working together

I am on a board of directors for an organization that works extensively in the inner city. Some of the projects that we are involved in are.

- Affordable housing throught the neighborhood home ownership program.
- A ten room house that provides mentering and support to single moms who are in school.
- Affordable rentals.
- A Male youth lodge. A place that provides support to troubled youth.
- Employment and training services.
- Small business mentoring.

Those things to name a few. We are in the process of getting a grocery store in the heart of the inner city. It is very frustrating driving out of my neighborhood to buy groceries.

Anyway when I go to these meetings I cant help but think about a christian's involvement in a secular establishment. Too many times we get into christian boxes and we can only relate in the christian spheres. I have been pondering lately what the heart of God is on this matter. I ask questions like 'what would it look like if christian organizations partnered with organizations like the one I am involved in'? I think that God can use non christian organizations to fulfill his purposes on this earth. His heart is to provide for us. His heart is to care for the poor. His heart is to see that his children have food and eligible housing. His heart is that people would be mentored in workmanship and budgeting.

I would love to see what God would do if christian ministries would partner with non christian organizations. I think that we would be a lot closer to the biblical model of being in the world but not part of it.

Think about it for moment. A ministry that feeds the poor has regular people coming in and they build a relationship with people. Then when they find out specific needs, they can refer as needed. Someone that visits the soup kitchen could get their own house by a simple referral.
There is something about this. I dont have it all together but Gods heart is that we would 'blend' in amongst the world.

I remember years back I had a huge heart to see the christian ministries in the inner city come together to minister the love of Jesus together. If you walk down the street in the inner city, count how many ministries are out there each block. That is good. However it is the heart of God that ministries would partner together. One ministry cannot provide everything. In a sense it would define the body of Christ. If one ministry gift is feeding the poor, they should do that well. If another ministries gift is preaching the word, they can do that well. There is something that the cities are missing by ministries not coming together.....how did I get on this?? Oh right, I want to see what God's intention is to use christians and non christians to work together to fulfill his purposes. We are called to be lights in the darkness...sheeps among wolves...gentle as doves, shrewd as snakes...
What that looks like I do not know but there is much relationship building that needs to be done. Wityh and without christians!