Challenges bring growth?

Okay so we are feeling some major growing pains.  Fortunately we know (from experience) that growing pains bring new growth.  After sitting last week with no job and knowing that Randy only has two (2) weeks of work left this year with his current contractor we find ourselves a little excited for what is to come.  Every since we were at the campground in Perry and suffered the multiple burned up chords from the campgrounds faulty electrical box have incurred numerous costly repairs to our rig.  We spent two (2) days at Camping World getting more damages diagnosed and are presently waiting for an adjustor to come look at our rig as we have exceeded $1000 in just the converter box and holding tank issues not including the other items.  On top of that the power steering pump went out on Randy's truck, his serpentine belt broke and his tensioner pulley froze up.  To definitely make sure we know we are in God's will and a threat to Satan ... my van has started overheating, the air conditioner has stopped working, the blower switch on the inside has stopped working and my blinker light has burned out once again ... or possibly a short of some type.  So much for any funds that we had set aside to help us weather the time without any paying work. 

Can you say Faith walk?  The amazing thing through it all is our excitement towards what is to come and where God is going to be taking us.  Yes, we are still a bit anxious on the funding part … but God has never turned his back on us and promises He won’t.  So, we find ourselves back in Perry, this time at Fair Harbor Campground with a fishing pond (but as the boys keep reminding me … no Grandpa to fish with).  In the midst of our Faith walk God has allowed us to prayerfully walk along side another of our God given brothers who is seeking God’s will and praying for the strength to take that first step of faith.  It’s so encouraging to be able to truly KNOW what he is feeling and have pretty much experienced each of his areas of discomfort that are holding him back so have a voice of experience to share with him.  The boys and I were honored this morning with attending church with his family at New Hope International.  I have been raised a quiet, Quaker girl and relish the Spiritual quite worship of communion … so when in route he brought up that their church was Pentecostal … I promptly felt a temporary moment of panic.  (I did mention panic right?  I’ve attended a couple different Pentecostal churches that were, in my words very RADICAL and definitely not a place that I was able to find any sense of worship.  My parents attended one with me in Dallas TX … and they were pretty mute when we exited too.)  Once again God’s sense of humor shows itself to me.  Though I didn’t know their music, I still was able to have a wonderful time of worship with God and boy was the sermon just written for me.  Imagine that, God used a loud worship setting with a very energetic Pentecostal preacher to touch the innermost core of my heart and give me the encouragement and reminders of His promises that He gave for me and our family.  The title of his sermon … “God’s Bail Out Plan”. 

I can’t even begin to explain the excitement and energy I have for what is ahead both challenge wise and reward wise.  I shared some with Randy when he called at lunch break to see how we were doing … but that caused even more peace and anticipatory excitement to grow.  It’s just like yeast!  Now I’m praying that we’ll be able to use that “yeast” to make great “bread” to share and spread according to His will.  WOW!