Raiy Day Thoughts

Here I sit on another rainy day. I know why the level of depression is so high in Seattle! I quite enjoyed the week of sunshine we had. The trees are changing color, and the weather is basically perfect, except that it's raining. 






  
 But I'm not here to talk about the weather.....



I've been reading Francis Chans' book "Crazy Love"  if you haven't read it yet-read it. It's been a super challenge to me. I'd like to share a excerpt from chapter 7(which I am currently reading). The chapter title is "Your best life....later". Basically it's about living our lives on earth focused eternally. The author shared a story about his friend...

"A friend was faithfully giving 20% of his income to God, and suddenly his income dropped drastically. He knew he had to decide whether he should continue to give in a way that proved he trusted God. It wouldn't have been wrong to lower his giving to 10%. But my friend chose instead to increase his giving to 30%, despite the income reduction.

  You can probably guess how the story ends. God blessed his faith and gave him more than enough, more than he needed. My friend got to experience God's provision firsthand." Crazy Love; Francis Chan pg. 122

My jaw dropped when I read this. The idea seemed so outrageous! I thought about what it could imply in my life if I started giving more to God. The part- time job I have now, isn't even part time. It's more like 1 or 2 days a week. I haven't worked in two weeks. I get overwhelmed when I start to think about all the bills I have to pay and everything in life that costs money. Such as gas. Not to mention putting in applications and that horrid waiting period for an interview then not getting the job. I don't even have enough money to my name to pay what I owe on my car. When i get paid, I automatically think though all of the things I want/need to spend my money on. The thought hasn't even crossed my mind to give 20% percent of what I make to God. Am I content to give only 10%? How much do I really trust God to supply my needs? Does my trust in God outweigh my fear of the unknown future? 

As I continued to read, a statement stood out to me. The passage of scripture was Luke 9, in specific verse 3... "He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt."

"This place of trust isn't a comfortable place to be; in fact it flies in the face of everything we've been taught about proper planning. We like finding refuge in what we already have rather than in what we hope God will provide. But when Christ says to count the cost of following him, it means we must surrender everything. It means being willing to go without an extra tunic or place to sleep at night, and sometimes without knowing where we are going. God wants us to trust Him with abandon. He wants to show us how He works and cares for us. He wants to be our refuge." Crazy Love; Francis Chan pg 123

 Trust isn't exactly easy. It goes beyond what our minds can fathom. We are looked at as crazy in some cases, laughed at and who knows what else. But as we continue to trust beyond all doubts, God will come through. This kind of trust sounds and awful lot like faith does it not? Maybe the two are more connected than we give them credit for. 

Where does that leave me? Sitting here, wondering how I'm gonna make it in life, but knowing that my God WILL supply all my needs. :) 

I leave you with this verse and a challenge to take your trust to another level. 

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.                                                         Psalm  28:7

God Bless
♥