YES, He's your provider too!

Though I tried several times to make a video about this topic as it's been burning in my heart lately, it seems my computer & phone wanted me to make other plans. A mere 50 seconds of footage (space & storage issues!) was certainly not enough to give a detailed description of the Goodness of God I've experienced these last few months so now you have a new blog entry! Yippee!! Lol

Listening to the song Surrender by Isla Vista Worship right now seems appropriate for this entry... the most pertinent lyrics perhaps, "I'm giving you all of me, but honestly I need you to grow me... If I go to far, will you still be here. I've known you for years, I know that you're near..."

I'll just start out by saying that my Australia adventure is definitely worth a full website/Blog site but that hasn't happened yet! Perhaps it hasn't been the time, so for the moment I will give you a quick run through of some of the glorious ways God has provided for me during this journey.

First off, I don't have working privileges on my visa so when God called me to Australia it was a leap of faith. Even the plane ticket was unaffordable... a gigantic leap.

In the 8 months I've been here, God has opened 2 doors to places for me to live and it was step to step in how He did that. It's worth noting before I go on to the present time, that in both places, my hosts were & continue to be an extreme blessing in so many different & unique ways exclusive to them and not excluding even the provision of food/meals, spontaneous financial gifts as well as the many benefits of fellowship and growing together in cool ways as it is when people live together and really get to know one another.

*Don't underestimate the power of the Body of Christ in being the hands and feet of God in powerful ways. This has been a huge part of my journey/learning curve and has blessed me beyond expectation. I'll get into more detail about my first several months in Australia hopefully one day soon but the provision of the most recent months is what I really wanted to talk to you about today and is connected with the verse:

Matthew 6:31-34

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

This has been a most prominent verse for me since September. Why? The sources of provision I had relied on in formed months started drying up until the point that I felt like I was in a rock and a hard place. I know it's cliche but that's how it felt! I thought I experienced this during the first 6 months (and I did in ways!) but this next leg has eclipsed this. If I could describe these recent months, it was like I came into a desert or time of potential bareness not only having nothing monetary to make my way but having literally account negatives. Now those negatives have not changed significantly (not yet at least as I expect they will!).. but in this place of not having anything much to spend I have seen some of the most AMAZING provision from our Heavenly Father.

That's what I want to tell you about today :D :D :D

In an attempt to keep this brief I will list them:

1) I have to take mandatory trips out of the country to fulfill my visa. For the last time, God provided through a Christian friend, not only a place to stay (with another Christian family I had never met in Malaysia) but the money for the flight came in only days later through another friend spontaneously. I was provided in every way for this trip to the point of embarrassment (even trips to the bathroom needed mula!). It was extremely humbling and difficult to receive soo much that it brought me to a point of anxiety. Even so, how awesome for God to provide for me to even leave Australia and return again (more than once!). I often remind Him that it was His idea to bring me to this country in the first place! LOL ;) This Asia trip also included a spontaneous trip to a missionary's house in Singapore arranged through the family in Malaysia on my stop over route which was another surprise with more provision.

2) Upon my return to Australia, I was down to the nuts and bolts of depending on pretty much God (yes, rock & hard place is an apt description of this feeling!). I was eating a lot of RICE at this juncture, Lol! No this is not my fav food, it was a matter of necessity. Even so, a donation here & there came along to keep me going at just the right time- it was blessed, unexpected... & always awesome!

During this great rice period, I remember crying out to God on a walk saying, "throw me a bone! I need something else to eat God!!" (yes that's how I talk to Go sometimes! :D) That night a friend treated me for chocolate frozen custard & a different friend spontaneously brought some groceries and treats over the next day! Very recently this same dear friend surprised me with a huge variety of groceries (so beautiful & generous!) as seen below :P

Amazingly just this past week a grocery card came in the mail for me & my flatmate- no clue who sent it and we can't seem to track them down! At this point, I've been eating an ongoing bounty that has come unexpectedly and even had the opportunity to make dinner for a friend which I was so excited to do!! (this was a norm in the prior season! Lol, but like I said, it's been a different leg in my faith walk) The gift card came the day before that special dinner! Wow, God is good & His timing, which can feel late at times (especially when you're eating the same thing daily- though still grateful for something) is actually perfect after all!

3) Leading up to Thanksgiving, I was desperate to celebrate but came to terms with the fact that I was 15,800 km away from home so this wasn't going to happen short of a supernatural teleport or God providing a Thanksgiving here. I scoured the internet for local Thanksgiving activities/meals.. but alas, nothing!

I did not have the means to provide one for others here which I would have LOVED to do and prayed a lot about this as I've never missed a Thanksgiving, even in the UK! Well the truth is, I didn't teleport nor did I have turkey, but I did have 2 feasts unexpectedly! On the Sunday of Thanksgiving, I was invited to a Burger High Tea, yes you heard that right, tiers of burgers, fries, deep fried cheese.... and it was scrumptious, salty, fatty and just what I needed to lift my Thanksgiving blues! This came through the benevolence of another dear friend who was celebrating a special event so included a few of us. I loved it but even so I secretly was feeling a bit upset about missing the whole turkey thing after my sis was describing the bounty they had at home. Amazingly after that call, my flatmate walked in and invited me to a special dinner! It was totally unexpected and beautiful meal together that really hit that Thanksgiving spot as I delighted in some special dishes with her, finishing it all off with a coffee! I realized this was God's provision for me here to celebrate and enjoy His version of Thanksgiving for me. Sure it was different and wildly unexpected but this way His way of blessing me through this time of leaning on Him. The lesson for me in His faithfulness was the most precious Thanksgiving gift I could have anyway though I think God is pretty clear that I hope to celebrate Thanksgiving next year ;) Lol

The last little miracle (it was a miracle for me ok!) was that I was on a walk again talking to God aloud (He told me He likes this, pouring out my heart, even if it's ranting & expressing my true thoughts, feelings, even disappointments! You're thinking it anyway right, so He knows anyway!) I admit it was a bit of low point for me walking home that day, which isn't my norm. I found it hard to praise, sing or even to speak and found myself asking why He brought me to this nation? Then I asked for some encouragement to keep me going and told Him how I'm getting tired of wearing the same clothes for 8 months.. so it was something like, "could you provide me a new outfit Lord? I know it's material but you know, it would encourage me...".

Well I get back to the flat and the first thing my flatmate says, do you know there's a clothes swap this weekend? No, I didn't know!!! Lol. WHAT!!!! I believe that qualifies as a pretty direct answer, don't you? It doesn't matter that this was about clothing which may seem like no big deal but for me, it's the fact that God directly and promptly answered me with a desire of my heart! Obviously I went to this Clothes swap but with nothing to swap which I was told wouldn't matter (sigh of relief!!) and I ended up leaving with a mini wardrobe, beyond what I'd asked for! There were racks of beautiful things that looked brand new and I got a bit of everything, jewelry, boots, pants, tops, dresses... wowo!! Everything left was donated to shelters >>> great idea so we don't waste so much with buying and throwing away all the stuff we accumulate & what a refreshing way to update your wardrobe. I must say, it was such a blessing it was for me and apparently they only do it annually so perfect timing, eh!!

Not only that, the whole atmosphere was beautifully create with chocolates, wine, treats (scones with cream & jam!!!), soft music, ladies of all ages milling about and mingling through plentiful racks of what looked brand new & beautiful! Boy, God must know me well! HAHA. One top had a tag that said 'Miracle', I got a delicate pink trench coat (always wanted one but never had the means last few years) and a pair of jeans with a label that matched my middle and last name (didn't try them on, brought them home & they fit like a glove!). I was indeed VERY blessed by this event, very!

So has all this been about food & clothes!?!! Well in one way yes, I was quite needing and even desiring both and God surpassed what I expected (or even what I didn't expect!) in every instance. There have been stretches in between of... what the heck is going on here (mostly the rice period!)... but consistently God met me in my needs in the most extraordinary ways through different people and events.

And you know one of the most interesting things to me is that I never asked for anything at anytime during this whole Oz adventure. Whatever came was given freely and seemingly given with great joy from those He provided through. They often told me Holy Spirit had told or directed them to give such & such. The timely nature of walking & talking with God about my needs and desires and His direct follow up was also a mind explosion for me!

Living by faith to this extent for simple, basic things is new for me. Yet I'm so excited about it because this is the path and the way God has chosen to show me His faithfulness and He has revealed Himself as FAITHFUL, beyond even what I ask! Yes I believe there is more to come but I write this not only as a testament to His goodness and faithfulness but to encourage you that He is exactly the same God for you. He is faithful to us all! It was only in coming to a place where I really needed to rely upon Him that I saw how God truly does provide the 'drinking, eating and wearing'. Wow, how basic these things are when He has a whole Kingdom to give us! This is why He encourages us to seek first the Kingdom. It is because He can easily take care of the rest. The Father knows our needs as the Matthew verse says and He can well provide for them. After all, He created us and is well able to do all these things!

Ephesians 3:20

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Some people think it's amazing to live by faith in this way but actually every person lives by faith to some way. If nations are in my heart (and they are), then living by faith for His provision in this way seems a necessary step to move in that direction and believe for even bigger things.

God has individually crafted the journey He has for you and it has a lot to do with the person He has made you to be, the desires He's put in your heart, the path He has for you. I know people who seem to live by faith in very extreme ways (I don't think they are ever disappointed!) and those who may have most of their needs taken care of through a job etc., but again, we must remember, the source is still God in all these things. Things come and go but the one consistent is God - He is our source. I especially enjoyed a Joel Osteen clip about this, to remember how God is our source and He never dries up or changes, YESSSS!!! Phewwww!

Hebrews 13:8

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

I bless you today & encourage you to rely upon God as your source in greater ways as He leads you. For me, it took a rock and hard place to see His faithfulness, pretty much having no choice, but that's probably just what I needed! I heard another speaker (possibly Bill Johnson) saying that God brought the Israelites to the desert to show them His nature and character, wanting to bless them. Sometimes that's what it takes to see and believe this when we have no where else to turn or look to.

It's always a good an beautiful thing to give thanks for what He's already provided, a job, family, house, whatever you have, there's always something to be grateful for!

I pray you see His goodness, His faithfulness, pop up in unexpected ways, in greater ways and increasingly, because, this is all for your benefit, all for your growth, because He LOVES YOU!

Love you too, bye for now!