God's word says He will give us a double portion for anything the enemy has taken from us, double for our trouble. He has certainly kept his promises! With the close of this past school year, I reflect back on all that He has done for us. This year at work was an extremely difficult one, but God was walking with me everyday. I finally learned how to leave all the cares, struggles, and challenges of the classroom at school and not take it all home with me. That in itself was a huge blessing. God also moved us into our very first house and helped me focus my attention on the things that are of God and for God, rather than focus on all the negative junk out there. The house has enabled me to leave the chaos of the day behind and go retreat into my own little oasis. Of course, with my super hectic schedule, sometimes I had to wait a bit longer in a day to come home to that oasis, but there was nothing better than pulling into my garage.
God is so very good!God has given me double portion already for many things in my life and I live with an expectancy, a promise that there is more to come. Just thinking back to when I found out I was pregnant with my son, Joshua Caleb, almost 18 years ago I am overwhelmed by the promises God has kept in our lives. I had to leave my home state of California to escape an abusive ex-husband and a few months after moving to Texas, I got pregnant. While the enemy could have used that situation against me and my son (giving us a negative outcome), God was in the middle of it all and turned it around for His glory. I was pregnant, single, with no real permanent home, no support, and had to give up my part-time job due to a high risk pregnancy/medical complications.
Even living in poverty for several years as I went to college, God was always there providing for us and protecting us (we lived in some scary places). My son is turning 17 in July and is a mighty young man of God. He is in an Engineering HS, taking advanced classes, National Merit Scholar, and working hard to get into A & M next August. I give all the glory to God! He has been Joshua's father all these years, especially since Joshua's father has never wanted anything to do with him.
I have been through so many valleys and trials, but I know my God goes before me to make a way for me. He continues to keep His promise of Double for my Trouble. I'm still hoping for a double portion of parents (surrogate parents of sorts) and perhaps a soulmate one day to make up for my parents who passed away so long ago (I've lived more of my life without parents, than I did with) and my former fiance ( and then, good friend) who passed away last October. God has been working overtime to bring people, friends and situations into my life to replace everything the enemy has stolen from me.
Just thinking about this house we've been in since August '08. I reflect back on how it used to be when I first had Joshua. The low-income housing apartments filled with pests, rodents, drug dealers, and everything scary has been replaced by a beautiful, amazing house. It's not completely my house yet, my friends who moved to New York are the owners, but God has placed me into this house and I think of it as my home.
The very small amount of money I used to make while going to school full-time has been replaced by an substantial amount as a teacher. I still don't think we get paid what we are worth, especially when we have advanced degrees, but we do get paid a pretty good salary. The time off in the summer is much needed as well to get away from it all. Teaching is a tough job and we cherish our breaks! It also gives us the time needed to attend workshops and training to make us even better teachers.
Joshua and I used to take the bus everywhere up until 7 years ago. God blessed us with our own car, which got totaled 8 months later by a head-on collision (not my fault). You know what He did? Replaced it with an even better car! A car that was cute and would have been paid off by now, but I went out and got a bigger one for me. Now I am STILL paying on that one and it is older now. What was I thinking?!? Do I know better than God? Absolutely not! So if God blesses you with something, don't go out and get something else that you think is better. He knows what you need. Stick with His choices. The outcome is much better and brings more peace.
As I sit here typing this, my mind reminices of friends who are in my life now and those that passed away. My very best friend of 10 years lost her battle to cancer 5 years ago and since then, I hadn't had any really close friends. I have a lot of social acquaintances from work, church, school, but no one really, truly close. After a few years, God has blessed me with 2! Double than what I had.
Amazing, isn't it.There is so much more that God has given me a double portion of lately. The ministry He gave me three years ago is finally growing and fantastic things are happening. The single mom support group that I wanted to start as part of the ministry is finally a reality. Getting the support group plugged in at church is also finally started to happen. I tried doing that 2 years ago and it never came to be. It wasn't time. Again, I was trying to do something in my own strength, yet it wasn't God's timing. Now that I have placed it in God's hands and have made this ministry (and God's work) priority #1 in my life, things are taking off! Rivers of Grace Ministry (New Haven Ministries) and our group "Girl Talk" is an actual ministry/group helping real mothers and their kids. God is so good! I can't say that enough.
If you want to find out more about what God has done in my life, the ministry, and the vision He has given me, check us out Facebook, My Space, or on the web at http://riversofgraceministry.org/
Blessings,
Michelle
"Chelle"
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