It was like a weight in my heart. It wasn’t brought on by something that I saw on one of my devices, nor was it from one of the many letters we get asking for money for countless needs and good causes. Instead, it was just a growing awareness inside of me that we were to help someone get water.

Water is such an essential element for life; and since I knew the “leading” was coming from God, the only way to get more information was to talk with Ric and then to pray and wait for direction. One Sunday, a native missionary from India was featured in the “mission moment” at our church. She distributed a single sheet showing the needs she had (for the home for 75 orphaned children in India and the school that she ran for them and 300 other students of all faiths who attended the school).

She needed 75 bunkbed frames, 75 mattresses, and a water treatment system which would provide the clean water for these hundreds of children. My heart quickened. We knew this was the need that God wanted us to meet.

I think we had sold some stocks or something, but we had a few thousand dollars we wanted to give, and when we called “Advancing Native Missions” we found that the amount needed was one we could fulfill. We were beginning to sense there was some urgency. This was confirmed when we went to ANM and were informed that an engineer was leaving for India in two weeks and would be able to install the water treatment system if he had the funds for the purchase!

This is the exciting part: to feel that God would call us, entrust us, and allow us to be a part of fulfilling this need!

The other side of this exciting life has been watching how God has shown us that He just wants us to partner/co-operate with Him, and that a part of that partnership is that He knows what we need and He will provide. (Matthew 6:33)

Let me share a story about how “Jehovah Jirah, our Provider” gives back to us more that we give. The house we bought (short sale) in 2011 is twice as big as our former dwelling, so we did not have furniture to fill it. The entryway of our home opens into a living room that adjoins a dining room. The way it is laid out, it is possible to live here and not use these rooms, so not having much furniture in there worked for the first few years. It didn’t seem to bother anyone, but I continued to ask God to provide furniture.

Dining room: One day Ric called me and said that God told him to go to a neighboring town where there are antique stores. We did not know that a new antique mall was having a grand opening that day. By 8pm that night we stood amazed in our dining room where, for under $400, stood a beautiful antique walnut table w/ 3 leaves + 6 newly refinished and upholstered chairs.

Living room: One morning I blurted out to Ric that we needed a recliner in a corner of the den. An hour later a friend sent an email with a list of furniture being sold by a friend moving to Texas. Two hours later: a friend was helping me move a recliner – $25, a Victorian sofa & two chairs – $100, a hutch that matched the DR furniture – $150, three Williamsburg framed prints (for our colonial themed office): $10 ea. (I was thrilled!)

Kitchen: We had a small rectangular table but it would not accommodate any guests. That changed when a neighbor listed a solid oak pedestal table w/ 2 leaves & 4 chairs for $50.

(I must add here that this lifestyle is sometimes difficult for Jewel who has such an artistic eye: sometimes these “gifts from God” are painful to her senses. I think God knows her limits, however, because He replaced the pink Victorian couch (which she thought was the 2nd ugliest piece of furniture she’d ever seen) with a nearly new $2000 Ethan Allen sofa for $200. (Of course, His greatest gifts are friends like Barbara–pictured with the couch).

I could go on, but I will stop. I just think that it is important to bear witness that we have found that in this process of “co-operating” with God in the “economy” of His Kingdom, we have the joy of sharing in His business of blessing and providing. Our faith has grown through watching Him meet the needs of others (as well as our own) and thereby getting to know the loving, generous heart of our Father God.

“…Samuel declared: ‘Does the LORD delight in sacrifices as much as in obeying the Voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than to sacrifice, & to listen is better than burnt offerings.'” I I Samuel 15:22