"WHAT IF......"

Our church is involved in a debt retirement campaign right in the middle of the Christmas season! This involves a lot of prayer and soul-searching as to what God would have us give. It is one of the things on the pastors "vision list" that he wants to see God do in his ministry. (The pastor is also my husband.) As you know from previous posts he has pancreatic cancer. At this particular time he is dealing with some issues related to that.

When our church re-located out of necessity several years ago, we saw God provide miraculously through a small congregation of people who stepped out by faith and trusted God to provide. Pastor and I began to pray as to what God would have us give. I am like any other normal person and looked at the circumstances we were in financially. I was keenly aware that we had been unable to do much toward our retirement and that we were facing hefty medical bills. I had also let my nursing license lapse so that I could devote more time to ministry and family.

We did step out by faith and gave beyond what we pledged. Looking back, we have seen God provide for us in ways we could not have thought of. One of those ways was a medication became available for his cancer that turned his life around! He was able to function with more normalcy in his daily life. The drug itself was thousands of dollars per month which looked impossible to attain but God has provided it for 18 months through the company that makes it without hurting us financially.

I could tell you more but this post would be so long. Now we are praying about another financial gift. Things are difficult and uncertain again with the cancer and another drug. My point is that life is all about faith. We cannot see what lies beyond the next minute. We don't look at the circumstances, we look to The Lord for guidance. What would He have us to do not what can I do on my on? He alone knows the future.

God has shown Himself to be faithful time and again and now I need more faith for today. It was 10 years ago this month that my husband was given a short time to live! In that 10 years the bills have been paid on time and a life has been extended to bring glory to God!

What if we would all walk by faith, trusting in a mighty God? What wonders might He do among us? Who knows, maybe I will be posting another blog in a few years about how God has extended my husband's life. If not, I will still remember these ten bonus years He did give and how He provided our every need and more! "For we walk by faith, not by sight." II Cor. 5:7