She's the mother of Elisha, one of Eastin's new good friends in the neighborhood. She lives down the street, and she's the one who told me about this dance class I go to. We carpool there, and as we drive, she fascinates me with stories of growing up in Communist Albania. I'll have to share some of those someday (and her reasons for fearing government-run healthcare).
She's also a charismatic Christian. I haven't been around many charismatics for a while, and I've decided that it's good for me to court their company. Even though I have some theological disagreements with them, they challenge me in the best ways.
Mirela was telling me last night about her latest faith adventure. They're apparently doing some kind of financial campaign at her church for which they were asking for monthly pledges. She said her first thought was to pledge $20 (this would be from her own small personal income -- her husband doesn't attend church with her). But then she decided that there was no faith involved in a pledge like that -- $20 was not much of a stretch for her.
So she wrote $100. And the thing is, she apparently wrote this amount without any concern for where this money was going to come from, but rather with excited anticipation to see how God was going to get it to her.
In October, one of her friends who sends her small computer drafting projects occasionally (one of the little jobs she does to supplement family income) sent her a biggie -- big enough that her earnings easily covered her $100 pledge.
In November, a company for whom she does translating jobs -- and who, again, usually sends her small $15 jobs -- sent her a huge translation they needed. $330 she got for that one. Her monthly pledge was covered again.
Then the other day, she got a call from the census bureau, where she put an application in many, many months ago. They wanted to hire her to work in their nearby office -- starting next Monday. Just in time to cover her $100 for December.
Let me have risk-takers around me. Just as a practical matter . . . I wrote earlier. I didn't necessarily mean that to be a prayer request -- but it seems God graciously took it as such.
3 comments:
It really is cool how God DOES provide...in financial terms. A year after I was working at Kraft, I got promoted which meant I got a raise. I decided to max out my 401K and the difference was a little MORE than what my raise was. So after my promotion, I was actually taking home LESS than before. And I was sooo tight up in NY that I really didn't know how I was going to make it even though the difference was only about $50 per paycheck (or month?). I knew I only had to make it about 2 months before I'd have some pay adjustments that would get me back to where I was. And don't you know I got two little cash rewards for the next few paychecks and I ended up being fine. It was TOTALLY God!! I figured that meant he was a fan of retirement saving :) I had a similar experience back in October when I had a lot of NECESSARY expenses and I didn't know how I was going to make my savings goals but in the end I did!
Thank-you Gwen, I think God ment for you to write that story, at this time. Not only because Christmas is around the corner, but I personally needed a little rethinking.
God and friends make me stronger, and you are a true friend.
Julie
What an awesome story! I always think about "as freely as you have received, freely give." Living in a city around this time of year reminds me of those less fortunate every day on my walk to class, the tube, or whatnot. I'll remember this and mentally write out that $100 next time I pass...
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