Jesus fed thousands with the loaves and the fish, and yet we doubt His ability to feed us, to provide for us.
A few months ago we found ourselves in a very temporary financial crisis. We knew that in a month or two we would be okay, but we also had to immediately face the looming bills and practical considerations such as feeding ourselves and our 7 kids.
A series of circumstances including one son’s high school graduation, another son’s driver training course, a broken van, unexpected bills, a daughter’s illness, tax bills, and more all lined up with a month in which we had no income in order to create the perfect storm.
As we knew our circumstances were temporary and there are so many who are much worse off then we are financially, we did not tell our friends or family about the stresses we were facing. Yet God knew. I could see no way to be able to get through the month, but I prayed a very brave and specific prayer for a dollar amount that I needed God to provide.
I also prayed for groceries.
One evening there was a knock on our door and there stood a woman who I had only met once. She had been to an adoption information night that I was helping at last year. She did not know any specifics of our current circumstances, and yet she had felt led to help our family. She said that she had gone to the grocery store without a list and had allowed God to choose the groceries. She knew nothing about our family’s food habits other than knowing that one of our sons is on a gluten-free diet.
She brought in bag after bag after bag after bag of blessings.
The feelings that washed over me later, when I was looking through what had been chosen for us, are difficult to describe. God, the One who knows me best had chosen my groceries for me. Seeing how He had carefully chosen everything to show just how much He loves and cares for us was overwhelming. Not one item was there without purpose. Even the quantities chosen were exactly what we needed for a particular recipe or meal.
For days, I walked around in awe as I considered how God was able to provide not just for our needs, but for our wants. And He did it in such a way that it was like He was in my kitchen saying, “I see you. I know you.”
It had been a hard year. It had been a year where we were walking in the desert. Diagnosis after diagnosis for some of our kids. Financial stress. Marriage hardships. Bad news after bad news. It was the kind of year where I had stopped asking, “What else could possibly go wrong?” because that question always got answered swiftly and not in the way I hoped for!
We were in the desert and I was looking for a glimmer of rain.
That rain that I was looking for, the hope and promise that God sees it all, was delivered to my doorstep in the form of strawberries and cans of crushed tomatoes and six cans of tuna and gluten-free pizza dough.
He knows me. He knows you.
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How awesome is that, and even more amazing is how amazing is our Mighty God! This post literally has me in treats at this moment as we are facing a desert of our own at the moment and i really needed to see this at this moment. Thank you!
Ha, tears not treats. My phone chooses what it thinks is better words and i tend to forget to proof before i hit post.
Wow! Praise God for His faithfulness!!!!!!! Thank you so much fir sharing!
This is beautiful. We have been down this same road. I recently had someone make the comment “God doesn’t do miracles that we can see anymore” For a momma seeing an empty cupboard filled, no miracle could be greater. Luke 6:21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.
What an awesome testimony of God’s grace. Bless that woman for her obedience!
We’ve had this happen too, when we were in a similar situation. God surprises us again and again. I remember crying out to God one night during a difficult time, and feeling deep down, as if it was too big of a need for God to fill. I knew I was wrong, but God blessed us by PROVING me wrong! 🙂 He takes care of his own in ways we don’t understand, but we must proclaim! 🙂
Praise God for His mercy and goodness endures FOREVER! Does His love ever cease to amaze when we trust in Him? So many times He has proven this truth in my life both on the receiving end, and when I was called to be His vessel. Thank you for sharing this blessing with us. I know I need to be reminded to rely fully on Him and to be odedient when called to bless others.
God is good. We walked through the dark wilderness of homelessness when my husband was layed off combined also with injuries from a car accident, (the driver was uninsured and almost died herself), a few years back. It was frightening. He fed us each day, we were never cold. My children saw His mighty Hand upon us. God bless you for sharing. I pray this season of hardship will pass soon.
We had a few very difficult months early last year. God did this twice for us. We learned a lot about trusting Him for our needs. Isn’t it wonderful to have such a wonderful Father?
To God be the Glory! I am a single-homeschooling-parent of 1 and I don’t work. God has done amazing things in our lives and in times of little “known” resources, I have had people put cash in my hand, and have even had my kitchen filled with groceries by surprise on more than one occassion. He is so faithful! I’m so glad that you were faithful so that he was able to express Himself in such a profound way! Stay encouraged and know He’s got this! 🙂
Thanks for sharing what you’ve gone through. I need reminders sometimes! We too have been going through a difficult financial time. Praying for your situation and for both of us to hold fast to our Provider and Protector.
What a blessing! This happened to me as well. I was expecting our 3rd child and we could not afford maternity clothes. My expanding belly caused me to turn to the Lord and ask for provision. Within a day a friend have picked me up a top at a yard sale. I thought that was amazing that God would answer me in such a practical way, but He was smiling at me when I thought this. Within a week or two I unexpectedly received two huge boxes of maternity clothes from my mother in law. She lives 2000 miles away and although she knew we were expecting but had no idea of my need. She stumbled onto an amazing sale and “could not help herself”! This was completely out of character for her… I sat there with tears rolling down my heart as I realized that the Lord had first shown me He would provide, but then was blown away when He blessed me beyond what I could imagine!!
We are at a stage of praying hard for miracles as well and this is a good reminder that God is always working. Thank yo for sharing.
We have lived this a great deal. The first time was similar to your experience. A family (who were only acquaintances) bought us groceries for the whole holiday season. This was right before Thanksgiving and they filled the floors of our living room and our kitchen with the purchases. Each bag I opened, held items that spoke to me that it was carefully chosen for us. We have gone through this several more times. I believe that when you are doing your best to be obedient to the Lord’s wishes, He fills in every need. I have been called to work in some seasons and in others to be at home. Every time I’ve been called home our food needs are met miraculously. It never get’s old watching how He does it! My expectations grow the more ominous a situation may be. Definitely not a boring life when you’re a dependent of The Most High!
Thank you for sharing. We have been in that desert place for a few years, and it is always amazing to see how He provides in specific areas.
I am in a similar situation right now and I don’t know how I am going to feed my family from day to day. I pray often about the situation. Recently I was talking to one of our neighbors and she told us that her husband worked for a bread company and that 4 days before the bread goes old they throw it away. One day last week my neighbor called me and asked me to come outside. I walked outside and she opened her trunk. She had over $150 in food all for my family. They gave us loaf after loaf of wheat bread and rye bread and snack cakes. Our family has eaten like kings. We’ve had grilled cheese, French toast, cinnamon toast, and sandwiches. I know bread doesn’t seem like a big deal but we didn’t have anything else to eat. So for us it was huge. God is good
What a blessing to read your story. Thank you for doing what you are doing even though the road is hard and long. As many have shared, I have a similar story. Our kids needed shoes and work was slow for my husband and I did not want to ask him for $$ or anyone else. I just prayed…..and prayed…..and prayed. The next day, a woman that was a friend of my neighbor that I was just getting to know, came to my door and brought me an entire box of children’s shoes! I couldn’t believe it! My kids were able to pick out a few pairs (that fit perfectly!)and we in turn, blessed others with the rest….He gives us abundantly more than we can ask or think. May your sharing your story, encourage many, and remind us to listen for God’s voice to bless others as He has blessed us. 🙂
This is a fantastic story.
Thank you for giving us a real-world instance of angels amongst us and God’s love for us – because we know HE sent her to you all.
Blessings,
Emily
God is so awesome! Thank you so much for the reminder, nothing is to great for God, He is the God of miracles!
Hi Sharla:
Thanks for your lovely story. We too have had experiences like this. We just moved from PA back to my home state of VA.
With buying a new house, that we were promised would be “a great condition house” (from the sellers themselves) – we have been hit with more unexpected things that we have had to fix. The worst being the fleas, left behind by the previous owners dog. Through this whole transition God has wonderfully provided our grocery needs every week. Just in time, $100 came in for the groceries we would need for that particular week. At times (towards the end of the week) I get nervous and say, “Lord you got to provide for this coming week.” He always has so far, and it is my flesh that fears and is always again reminded that He provides for us as He does for His sparrows!!!
The Lord bless you and your family!!!
Hi Sharla:
Thanks for your lovely story. We too have had experiences like this. We just moved from PA back to my home state of VA.
With buying a new house, that we were promised would be “a great condition house” (from the sellers themselves) – we have been hit with more unexpected things that we have had to fix. The worst being the fleas, left behind by the previous owners dog. Through this whole transition God has wonderfully provided our grocery needs every week. Just in time, $100 came in for the groceries we would need for that particular week. At times (towards the end of the week) I get nervous and say, “Lord you got to provide for this coming week.” He always has so far, and it is my flesh that fears and is always again reminded that He provides for us as He does for His sparrows!!!
The Lord bless you and your family!!!
God provides. All we need is faith. Hugs for you. Thanks for sharing this during the time I need to seriously consider between leaving my job or losing my sanity by keep working.
I have experienced the great gift of God purchasing our groceries. Last early winter we lost a pregnancy at 12 weeks and I had to go into the hospital for a D/C and my husband had to take a few days off of work to help with our children. He is a contractor and any day he takes off he doesn’t make money so we were really feeling a financial crunch from his top off as well as other issues. I belonged to an amazing online group of women who banded together and through them God provided for our family. They raised money together and I received a week’s worth of frozen meals from a local meal delivery place as well as a few hundred dollars worth of gift cards to the place we purchase most of our groceries at. It was such an unexpected blessing. Now my husband has taken his business to another level where we sell our own exterior renovation contracts which means there is always a chance there will be no money but for the last 6 months we pray that God will provide and He most certainly continues to bless us.
Thank you so much for this post , thanks ladies for the reminder to pray. He has done this for us as well. Every week we feed our children is a miracle. We have had bread given at the right time, apples, food, money, car seats, transportation money, date money, maternity clothes, baby clothes, new shoes, fruit in general, milk, oat meal, whole wheat flour, olive oil, honey, a friend come and fold laundry, a double stroller……rent, flight tickets across oceans …….hair cuts, coffee, tea, honey moon …….however I still need the reminder to pray- I can be so forgetful and fal, into the trap of worry.
May he increase all of our faith as we trust him for the daily.
oh wow, bless that woman who felt and obeyed God’s calling. it takes a follower of Jesus, only, to do that.
Your story reminded me of when our first child was born, we came home with our 2 day old baby girl to a sm iall trailer with no heat , no hot water and no food. We had nothing and then our dog had puppies and we stood on the side of the road selling our puppies for 10 dollars each. We were desperate, but a man stopped, bought a puppy and said he did’nt know why but felt he was supposed to give this to us and handed us a 50 dollar bill. That money saved us. 50 dollars might not seem much to some but it was a million to us. God is Awesome!
We have also experienced God’s provision in very specific ways to our prayers, again and again. It’s an awesome realization that God wants to be our provider and He is fully able to meet all of our needs.
I have had something similar happen to me. We had one can of green beans in our cabinet. My husband would be paid the next day but that night I was going to have to serve my four children one can of beans. I didn’t know what to do so I sat at my kitchen table in prayer. Somehow those beans would have to fill us all. As I lifted my head up the sidewalk I see from the window comes our dear friends. They knew nothing of our struggle we kept it private. They brought us dinner from McDonalds. A salad for me and happy meals for the kids. I was in awe. God provide. 🙂
Wow, our God is so awesome! That is an amazing testimony!
The grace of our God is awesome, isn’t it my sisters?!!!