Post Theme: God’s Provision for the 2018 Backpacks.
When Things Seem Impossible
Last week, I sat in the FTN office completely overwhelmed. A week and a half earlier, we looked at our list of children needing school supplies. We also looked at our budget and the response we’d had of people wanting to pitch in with backpacks and supplies. It looked impossible. For us to purchase all of the supplies would have wiped out our local ministry fund. At that time only two people had said they were interested in donating school supplies. We were just a week away from our deadline. I confess, though I have seen God’s provision time after time, I was beginning to fret.
That Saturday evening, I stopped everything I was doing and went to the Lord in prayer. I committed the need to Him as the Father of the Fatherless and purposed to trust Him to either meet the need through unexpected sources or to provide for FTN should all of our current funds go into providing the school supplies for these 16 children.
God’s Provision
The following morning, God began to move! By the end of the day, He had brought in $350. Four more children were being covered by individuals who were going to purchase the specific items on their school lists. Over the course of the next week, individuals donated three more cash gifts and two other backpacks with supplies.
The following Sunday, members of my church who hadn’t told me they were planning on purchasing anything came bearing bags of school supplies. By Monday evening, our little office was so full of backpacks and school supplies that I didn’t even have a place to sit down! By the time we finished our bit of shopping and packed all the bags, we had supplies left over!
As Marta and I started our prayer time Thursday morning, I felt tears rising in my eyes. God had once again done it! No, we weren’t feeding thousands. There were only 16 on our list, BUT GOD had met every need and there were “baskets left over.” God’s provision is far above anything we can imagine.
We are so grateful to everyone who gave and prayed! God has done a mighty work, and He has worked through you to do it!
Fruit To Your Account
I am always hesitant to share pictures of the women and children we work with because I feel it is important to protect their identities. But I do wish you could have seen the excitement of one little boy when he realized what was in the backpacks. He tore into his bag, checking out every item, chattering excitedly while his sister and cousin quietly did the same in other parts of the room. I’ve known this little boy long enough to know that he struggles with hurts and anger. It was a blessing to see such joy on his face. Thank you to all who gave.
FTN is a small ministry, but we want God to use us in a mighty way. If you would like to volunteer your time, meet with us for prayer, or partner with us financially, please get in touch with us. You can always email us at rmiller @ forbidthemnot dot com or call 406-208-7332. You can also learn more about becoming a partner here on our website. I’m excited to see what fruit God will lay up to the account of those who seek to honor Him in the area of ministering to the Fatherless.
