Birds and Money

My heart is really going through something beautiful. God is truly using this time in my life to work some miracles in my heart.

First, there is this issue of the truck. Raising money for a truck for Fatima by reaching out to nearly everyone I know, watching you step up in faith, and seeing what God is doing....it's just super cool. Along with that, over the course of the past year or two, my opinion of money has changed. My personality with money has changed. My approach to handling it has changed. And I can tell you with absolute confidence, I alone and not capable of all this change. It has required transformation....and it is still full fledge in the process....because I have a long way to go.

I'm also learning about God's provision. Do you know....there is really and truly so much that we can live without. So much. We actually need very little of what we have. Our houses are too big. Our cars are too luxurious. Our pantries are overstuffed with junk. Our kids have too many toys. Our TV's have too many channels. Our communities have too many distractions. Our politicians have too many agendas. There is almost nothing simple in America. Almost nothing. We are so conditioned to achieve and not conditioned to encourage the souls around us. We are conditioned to aquire and spend, not serve. We are a sick sick nation and this is a sick sick world. We are just not paying attention to this true mission in life. Living life to its fullest, involves Jesus.

I'm not saying its easy.

Luke 12:32-34 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

I've been especially aware of the birds lately. You might recall I recently blogged about how cold it is and how I had allowed all of our birdseed to run out, and that I could see the birds searching my yard for seed to eat. I really felt bad that I had ignored them and that I had neglected them. I ran out and bought seed to feed them. My attention is being called to the birds again....but this time my heart realized that I was really only serving some of the birds....not all of the birds....because I was buying only a generic form of bird seed and not taking into consideration all of the variety of species, and that they all have their cuisine favorites. This past week I guess if "upset" me enough that I went to Lowes and I bought 3 varieties of seed and a couple of different types of feeders and I have distributed the seed around my yard in different places. Some in trees, so hanging independently, etc. I did not have the money for this....trust me. And the truth is that I know God will feed the birds. They might have to work harder, but they will find food. There is plenty of road kill around here and there are other yards with bird feeders, but I know that was not the point. What am I doing to feed the birds?

As silly as it may sound, I truly believe in my heart that God is using the birds in my yard to teach me a principle on serving and feeding the people of this world. They are spread out. They have different needs and desires. They have different ideas about gathering, storing up, eating, and digesting. And even though I cannot serve every single person, I believe I am being called to recognize need. I am being called to identify differences among the people. I am being called to respond even when it requires me to sacrifice.

God is using the birds to teach me about need. He is using my friends and even the total strangers who are stepping out in faith to help buy a truck for Fatima to teach me more about provision. That He is sovereign....and that He works out everything for His purpose. Ideally, in His name....we will all pitch in, in this world and use our means to provide.

Yesterday I received a pay pal donation for $15 from another total stranger. I am ecstatic about every single dollar that is given for the truck for Fatima. Every single dollar. And God is ecstatic too.

Another sweet friend of mine handed me a check for $50 a couple of nights ago.

Every single day, God is making the way for this truck to be purchased. It is amazing to be a part of and I am so grateful for what God is teaching me.