A Personal God

I have a young sister-in-Christ who says "if it's weird, it's God!" The idea is that there is no such thing as coincidence, especially the kind that gives you goosebumps. Those are personal encounters with a personal God - a God who knows what you are going through and is active in your life (if you will only let Him in).

I don't usually talk about our finances with anyone, much less in this very public arena, but I have something to share about God so I will put my pride aside and let God have the glory He so richly deserves.

As many of you are aware, our family has moved quite a few times over the course of our marriage. The joke is that we don't live anywhere longer than 3 years and we love to move up and down highway 59 (between Portland and Houston). The last move we made was across Lake Houston so Connor could attend a smaller schools rather than the mega-schools across the lake. That move really got us as we made double house payments for nine months. That was added onto previous debt from a business venture and I think you get the picture.

The other issue is health insurance. The district in which I teach has always offered 2 choices for medical insurance. I have (for obvious reasons) chosen the higher cost option with no lifetime maximum limit. However, it costs significantly more.

I have been on medical disability since October. As my regular salary has run out and I am now on a reduced liability income, we have certainly been tightening our belts around here. Things are fine - PRAISE GOD - but there were two things that I just couldn't figure out how we were going to pay for.

One of them was the outstanding bill to MD Anderson. I have a payment plan for all my previous medical bills up through this year, with the understanding that we would pay off the new bills as they arose. I have reached my maximum out-of-pocket expense (after one month!), and have paid some towards that bill, but really had no idea how I would pay the rest.

Here is the part where I start crying for lots of reasons. The Thursday before thanksgiving (2 weeks ago), a friend of mine and fellow teacher at Humble said I needed to go to PLC as the staff had a surprise for me. Wednesdays and Thursdays are REALLY bad days for me, but she was insistent and I went. At first I didn't really notice the hats. Quite a few people were wearing cute purple baseball caps. It wasn't until Tanya walked up to me wearing her cap that I realized what the logo said.

All the caps read "Wildcats for Kelli".

They had had a fundraiser for me such that they all purchased these caps and the proceeds went to me. I am still so humbled by the whole things I can barely write this. Melanie and Shirley handed me a plant that was full of the money people had donated. Melanie folded some of the money into flowers, Lori folded some if it into hearts, and some of it was tucked into little money pockets. They said they had no idea how much money was there.

When I got home and counted it, IT WAS JUST ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY THE REMAINDER OF MY MEDICAL BILL with $33 left over. If you don't have chills, there is something wrong with you. God stepped into my life and used the beautiful people at Humble to provide for us just what we needed. This was no coincidence - this was GOD and thank God for Melanie and Shirley who were His Hands and Feet. I love you so much, my dear sisters! To the faculty and staff at Humble High school as well as the other teachers from other schools, you have blessed me beyond measure. To you this may seem like a friendly gesture, but for us it is physical proof of a spiritual and loving God.

But wait, there's more.

We have been talking with Connor about having a lean Christmas this year - one of this times when your presence is your presents. We normally go out and support a needy family for Christmas, but I find myself being choosy with the Salvation Army Angel Tree this year. And I am not as free with the dollars when I hear the bells. I am not proud to be sharing any of this with you, but all of those things would result in increased debt for us this year.

Anyway, Faron was thinking maybe we could get Connor something for Christmas that would support his new business. Connor has become serious about photography and he started a business - check out www.connorjamesphotography.com. He plans to add portraits and landscapes, but he needs some more equipment.

Faron has been shopping and shopping trying to find the lowest price on this equipment. It is kind of an unspoken idea within our family that I might never be able to work again. I am extremely dizzy all the time now, nauseated most of the time, and just plain hurt sometimes. Faron is not one to sit around and wait for disaster to strike, so he is motivated to get Connor's business rolling in case we need to replace all of my income.

Anyway, I tell you all of that to tell you that when I went to Humble to receive my surprise, I also received a card from the folks in the registrar's office, the attendance office, and the counselor's office. The note inside said that these staff members normally participated in an annual Christmas office party where they would buy a gift and then play the trade/steal game. This year they decided to donate the money to me. A quote from the card "Please accept this gift from our hearts. What better way to celebrate the birth of our Lord than by helping a friend."

Two days later, Faron came home and said "This is the best price I can find on the used equipment." Guess what? I handed him the cash right out of the card and said "Go get it." Connor gets a Christmas!

God is living, God is real, and God cares. God will use your generosity to change someone's life and to lift them up in His spirit. I know we all go through periods where we think, as the group Casting Crowns puts it, "I was sure by now that You would have reached down and wiped our tears away, stepped in and saved the day.But once again, I say "Amen" and it's still raining."

We don't know why we have storms in life. I personally think God is showing us contrast now so we can avoid the ultimate and forever separation from him later, but that is the subject for another blog.

My deepest gratitude for all of the Hand and Feet from Humble who have reminded me that God is right here, right now - not off somewhere busy with other people's problems. You have touched my family in ways you will never know.

May God Bless You All!
Much love!
Kelli