God Provided

It has been nearly two weeks since I last updated about what God has been doing in my life. It is going to be hard to compress all that has happened into words in one post. But, without further delay, I will give you some highlights of the last few days.

The last post on here is mostly about my family and what I should encourage my dad to do, but there is a small section about my financial situation which is what I will tell you about first.

Before spring break I still own around $8,500 to college tuition - maybe more. Dad told me we could talk about it after break, but said that he really couldn't help me with money because of all the spending that my mom does. Yet I prayed, "God, if you want me to go to Ohio for this internship then you are going to have provide enough money for tuition and for a car to get out there. I understand this is a lot of money God, but I also trust that if this is your plan then you will provide a way." Before praying this I decided that I would not take out an independent loan, or barrow any more money past student loans.


Now it gets good. I went to the financial department of the school and took out the last of my loans ($2,000) and cashed in my check for working at the school ($500). The next week I got my tax returns back and cashed in my savings account ($1,600), talked with the financial department again and found a charge of grad credits that should have been removed ($1,200). Thursday night I got an email from my Dad about some money that Mom had took from me when I was younger, later sent me an email saying he is sending a check for nearly $4,000. So in a matter of 3-4 weeks I went from owing $8,500+ to having $800. It is payday next week to, so it is more like $1,200 in saving for a car. That is exactly what I pray to God - all of tuition and enough for a car. I guess I am going to Ohio, can't get much clearer direction than that.

On a more spiritual level, I have been challenged time and time again by God do start doing something. It has mostly been through people that the challenge has come saying that I could do more than I am. They see that I don't live out my faith as strongly because I am not "one of those people". I don't have the personality of a stereotypical leader so I don't lead, I fear what people will think of me so I don't act out my faith, I don't see things as common practice on campus so I don't do it, and such things like that. My professors have noticed and are calling me out on my fear telling me that I should start doing something.

A professor that I really look up to said this, "Jeremy isn't even showing half of what he is capable of on this campus" another professor that I am TAing under (Teachers Assistant) said the same only more so "There is a kid on this campus that I heard about, he has so much potential that he just isn't using that this campus really needs". To hear from these people that I am capable of this much, or even more is a challenge in my mind. I take challenges. Slowly I am doing what they say I can do, beginning to live with less fear of people.

A similar Challenge had been given to me by Rachel's Dad talking about jobs for the summer. He told me that I needed to look for jobs that would put me further into my career and better position me for the future. I took that Challenge and started to look for internships and youth pastor jobs. This past Thursday I got a acceptance letter from the internship in Ohio saying that I am the first intern to be accepted for their program. Since God provided everything I needed to go their, I will take them up on the offer and will start in the middle of May.

I learned throughout all of this, if God calls you to do something He will provide everything necessary to accomplish it without going against His will or plan. It is simple, but the implications are far reaching

Later