At first, the idea of planning a fundraiser seemed daunting. You see, back in middle school, my friends and I had started a book club. During the summer after our 8th grade year, a family in our church had an adopted child with some health issues. They had to pay all of his medical fees out of pocket, and it was going to be very expensive.
My book club friends and I came together and decided to have a yard sale to raise money for this family. Most of the planning for this sale fell on my shoulders, due to the fact that we decided to have it at my grandma’s house. I loved the idea of having a yard sale, but at the same time, it was very stressful. I was stressed out with starting high school and I also had several difficult circumstances going on in my personal life at the time too.
As the date of the sale came closer, I doubted we’d actually make any money. In my opinion, most of the items we were selling were junk. I didn’t see how anyone would want to buy our stuff.
Two nights before the sale, I tossed and turned in my bed. I questioned God and doubted his provision. I was frustrated for a lot of different reasons, and I worried that the sale would be a failure. At that moment, God clearly spoke to me. He reminded me of the passage in Scripture where he multiplied the five fish and two loaves of bread to feed 5,000 people. My heart was filled with peace. I knew that if God could multiply five fish and two loaves of bread to feed that many people, he could multiply the proceeds of our sale. I felt as if God was nudging me to pray that we’d raise $500. But I thought that surely that would be too much to ask.
The next morning as I was studying for an assignment in Bible class, I realized that my assignment was to read Matthew 14:13-21. -This is the passage in Scripture where Jesus fed the five thousand! Reading it sent chills up and down my arms. I stopped my studies immediately and asked God to allow us to raise $500. Since I still struggled with some doubt in my mind, I also prayed and asked God to help my unbelief (Mark 9:24).
The night before the sale, my friends and I spent the night at my grandma’s house. We crawled out of bed at five am bright and early the next morning to help my grandma set up our sale in her driveway.
That crazy busy morning is a blur in my mind. But at the end of the day, we raised over three times the amount of money that God had placed on my heart for me to pray for. When we gave the money to the family at our church, their eyes filled with tears of gratitude.
I’ll forever remember that wonderful day when I learned to trust in God’s providence. Because Jesus is our provider who made a way for us to have a relationship with God, we can reflect his providence by taking care of others’ needs. Whether it’s through a fundraiser, babysitting or serving at church, there are so many ways to reflect the character of our Lord.
Thank you for reading, and thank you so much Lila for sharing! If you have a testimony, God-moment, or a time you've spread God's word, please share it with us! You can see how to send us your story here! Also, please check out the Weekly Challenge!
This is just the story I needed to hear (or read rather) thanks for sharing Lila!!