Here is a testimony from our friend Dawn (old pic below, but one of my favorites!) It's a little long, but it's totally worth the read! =) Love you D!
One might wonder at times whether the God of all the universe really cares about the details of our lives. I imagine that sometimes He looks down from His heavenly realm and sees us as ants. The cars, the people, moving and scurrying around with our own agendas. Maybe He wonders if there are any of us who look up and really care about the One who made us. This is a story that has proved to me that God does care about the individual person …the smallest details of our lives and how He weaves Himself intrinsically into our lives to bring about Glory to His great name. This story may be of disregard to many but to me - it affected my life and has increased my faith.
It began in 2003, December 1. I just had closed on my first home. A real find. Work was inevitable…lots of work. But, nonetheless, the satisfaction of having something called “mine” was a triumph. So, I moved in and settled into project after project, fixing, painting, making it my own. Tearing out the carpet and replacing it seemed fairly normal except for the large crack in the slab that seemed to run from the inside of the wall around the corner and into another room. Nothing was thought much of it as it’s normal for slabs to have cracks in them. However over the next 1-2 years with decreasing rain, the crack widened and seemed that the windows and the brick all on that corner might just start repelling to the ground. Just in time for the loan arm to be up and a new appraisal to be ordered. The interest rate was in full swing and a refinance was a must - especially if I was going to be able to get $ out to fix the foundation. So, I pursued getting “locked in” to a 30 year debt that would end in a rejection of appraisal because of the foundation problem. Now, the dilemma was how to fix the foundation and come up with $18,000 without refinancing and taking built up equity out of the house. Equity Line? No. That line was used up in buying my car. And with the mortgage, car payment, utilities and basic necessities - my single girl wage was all but eaten and more.
I prayed about this problem for over 1 year and rallied others to pray that God would provide a way. I decided to try again through the Lord’s prompting and perfect timing. It was election year and everything is usually kind of unpredictable around election time anyways. I went and prayed for a woman loan officer who would be a Christian and who would be able to help me. I entered the office with a prayer and met a young man who took my name and scheduled an appointment. Disappointed because I did not get my way (no offense, gentlemen, but I had talked to several pushy men who would not give me details…it’s the venus/mars thing to be sure), I just said “Lord, if this is who you have for me I’ll trust it. The day of the appointment, I walked in and low and behold for some reason that young man could not make the appointment but a very nice, gentle, seasoned woman sat me down at the conference table wearing no less …A Cross around her neck. Coincidence? READ ON. We explored options, ordered an appraisal. I even went so far as to search out matching mortar to this house - to conveniently fill in the cracks that had dispersed out from the problem areas: over the garage, under most windows, above exterior doors and the worst being a 1” crack under a back bedroom window. Did I mention the bowing interior wall and the popped sheetrock? That morning, my good friend Wes had worked about 6 hours to help make sure the house had a very tidy curb appeal. I vacillated if should try and cover up what was wrong. And at last, I just didn’t feel right about it. I just told the Lord, “Lord, if you can split the Red Sea, you can make those cracks invisible.” Well, He did!! I needed the home to appraise for $225,000 in order to get $ out to fix the foundation. Which I thought was a far stretch since values are down so much. But that home that was purchased 5 years ago at $146,000 with some sweat equity was valued at $235,000!! A M A Z I N G. God is totally amazing.
You know, I wanted to share this story because I know that God is at work in the details. My parents were here 2 days to help me buy a home. We found it in 1 day. I needed $3,000 in down payments. My family gave me $7,000. I desperately needed a car and God provided the equity line 1 year after I purchased my home. I took a job with $15,000 less to gain sanity and God gave me an extra roommate and restored me to what I made before in the same year. Should I go on? If you are wondering if God is present in your finances- My advice would be: Give him 10% and just see what He gives you back. Be expectant, patient, diligent, trustworthy and faithful. And when you’re not, He’ll still bless you if you ask.
It began in 2003, December 1. I just had closed on my first home. A real find. Work was inevitable…lots of work. But, nonetheless, the satisfaction of having something called “mine” was a triumph. So, I moved in and settled into project after project, fixing, painting, making it my own. Tearing out the carpet and replacing it seemed fairly normal except for the large crack in the slab that seemed to run from the inside of the wall around the corner and into another room. Nothing was thought much of it as it’s normal for slabs to have cracks in them. However over the next 1-2 years with decreasing rain, the crack widened and seemed that the windows and the brick all on that corner might just start repelling to the ground. Just in time for the loan arm to be up and a new appraisal to be ordered. The interest rate was in full swing and a refinance was a must - especially if I was going to be able to get $ out to fix the foundation. So, I pursued getting “locked in” to a 30 year debt that would end in a rejection of appraisal because of the foundation problem. Now, the dilemma was how to fix the foundation and come up with $18,000 without refinancing and taking built up equity out of the house. Equity Line? No. That line was used up in buying my car. And with the mortgage, car payment, utilities and basic necessities - my single girl wage was all but eaten and more.
I prayed about this problem for over 1 year and rallied others to pray that God would provide a way. I decided to try again through the Lord’s prompting and perfect timing. It was election year and everything is usually kind of unpredictable around election time anyways. I went and prayed for a woman loan officer who would be a Christian and who would be able to help me. I entered the office with a prayer and met a young man who took my name and scheduled an appointment. Disappointed because I did not get my way (no offense, gentlemen, but I had talked to several pushy men who would not give me details…it’s the venus/mars thing to be sure), I just said “Lord, if this is who you have for me I’ll trust it. The day of the appointment, I walked in and low and behold for some reason that young man could not make the appointment but a very nice, gentle, seasoned woman sat me down at the conference table wearing no less …A Cross around her neck. Coincidence? READ ON. We explored options, ordered an appraisal. I even went so far as to search out matching mortar to this house - to conveniently fill in the cracks that had dispersed out from the problem areas: over the garage, under most windows, above exterior doors and the worst being a 1” crack under a back bedroom window. Did I mention the bowing interior wall and the popped sheetrock? That morning, my good friend Wes had worked about 6 hours to help make sure the house had a very tidy curb appeal. I vacillated if should try and cover up what was wrong. And at last, I just didn’t feel right about it. I just told the Lord, “Lord, if you can split the Red Sea, you can make those cracks invisible.” Well, He did!! I needed the home to appraise for $225,000 in order to get $ out to fix the foundation. Which I thought was a far stretch since values are down so much. But that home that was purchased 5 years ago at $146,000 with some sweat equity was valued at $235,000!! A M A Z I N G. God is totally amazing.
You know, I wanted to share this story because I know that God is at work in the details. My parents were here 2 days to help me buy a home. We found it in 1 day. I needed $3,000 in down payments. My family gave me $7,000. I desperately needed a car and God provided the equity line 1 year after I purchased my home. I took a job with $15,000 less to gain sanity and God gave me an extra roommate and restored me to what I made before in the same year. Should I go on? If you are wondering if God is present in your finances- My advice would be: Give him 10% and just see what He gives you back. Be expectant, patient, diligent, trustworthy and faithful. And when you’re not, He’ll still bless you if you ask.
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