You know that old addage. Obviously it’s there for a reason. When it rains, it pours. And you don’t have to be a native of Vietnam or some other monsoon-prone country to figure this out.
Why the cheesy opening? I don’t know. Perhaps it’s because I become sentimental and I pop cliches left and right when something good happens. In this case it is God’s provision, in particular with the support fundraising I’ve been doing these past couple of months.
In the past month, I have received at least another $400-some-odd dollars from — get this — completely anonymous donors. Notwithstanding the frustration of being unable to thank these folks personally, I have been overjoyed every time I see the smallest amount trickle in.
Whoever is out there reading this…whatever you’ve done on my behalf, whether it’s been prayer, spreading word about what I’m up to, morally supporting me, or financially supporting me, THANK YOU! And to tack on a compliment — you have the modesty of not making it known (even though I really, really, really would love to personally thank you).
On top of the anonymous altruism (look, Mommy, I use college words!), I have received help from two unexpected sources.
Last Wednesday, an old friend of mine (he probably won’t want his name broadcasted either) whom I haven’t talked to in a while contacted me via e-mail and told me he’d like to contribute to my funds. Since I wasn’t really sure if I was part of his “friend network” anymore and hadn’t really kept in touch, I felt like literally searching my surroundings to find out where that came from. After protesting that he needn’t worry about me and instead focus on his scholastic costs, he still insisted. To my friend: if you are reading this, bless you. Danke, danke, danke :).
The other source was even more out there (and complete proof of divine appointments). I was in Church last Sunday among a sea of strangers — my church has three services with more than 1,000 attendees each service (PTL!), and the pastor requested that we find a neighbor and pray with them about whatever. Suddenly a woman behind me and her husband tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to pray with them.
After introducing myself, I found out that this woman, Liz, and her husband, Tim, have family overseas in Turkey on a mission. We got to talking, I asked them for fundraising advice, and two e-mails and an office visit later, I have a network of complete strangers reading my support letter. Not just any strangers, either — these strangers helped her raise a good chunk of money for a charitable cause she participated in.
I feel it would be sacrilege to call this coincidence — why? Liz and her husband both attend the morning service like I do, but we both happened, this one Sunday, to attend a different one, and they sat right behind me…among 1,000 other possible strangers.
What is the point to all this? It sounds like money, but it’s really not. I’m actually seeing trust come to fruition. Because I trusted in trusting the Lord. I prayed, I trusted, and I trusted that trust would yield something. More trust.
So if you’re now recovering from the circle I’ve just spun you all in, let me bring it back to another main point: God really does provide, whether you trust him or not. Although it seems to me now that once you trust him and give something to his control (including worry over it, “plan b”, etc.), He totally has your back.
I feel like the equivalent of actually winning at the game “light as a feather, stiff as a board”…I never really played that as a kid…taller kids weigh more.
I never imagined I would be here a year ago. But the best is yet to come (cue Frank Sinatra). PTL!
