*Updated* Guest Post on Memorial Monday

*My first guest post and I didn't even copy it right! lol If you read my blog last night (on Monday), please re-read it - the ending wasn't on here last night. Thanks!

Ever since I first learned about Memorial Mondays here, I've wanted to share this story. But it isn't really my story to share. I was there at the end, during the rejoicing, but my parents didn't want to worry me and never told me what was going on until the end. I didn't really know the whole story to share so I asked my mom if she would write it up and "guest post" for me. (I feel almost like a famous blogger having my own "guest poster!" lol) So here, it is ... written by my mom:

Spring 1993

“Honey, sit down,” I said seriously. “We need to talk.
As my husband sat down with me, I told him “We need $1000 by March 1st. I showed him the bills that had to be paid by then. Everything listed was a necessity – housing, car insurance, etc. I don’t believe I even included groceries in this list. Then I showed him our checkbook. We had a balance of about $30 on that day with no prospects of any additional income anytime soon.
“Dan,” I said. “There is no way we can come up with the money we need on our own. Every church we’ve ever had contact with has already sent us support. No family member has this kind of money. The Only One who can make this happen is God Himself!”
Dan and I, with our two teenage children, were serving the Lord on the mission field in Mexico, living out the Scripture that says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27 Smuggling food, clothing, medications, blankets into the communist colonias in Mexico, we were also helping feed children in 4 different orphanages.
My pastor husband and I agreed to meet daily, sitting on the couch, telling God of our need. We had over a month to pray. Every morning at 9 a.m. we would sit before God, reminding Him that His arm was not too short, Numbers 11:23; that He owned the cattle on a thousand hills, Psalm 50:10; that nothing was impossible for Him, Luke 1:37. Every day we reminded God that we needed this money no later than March 1st. We covenanted with God to tell no man of this need, only God Himself knew. A lesson we had learned from George Mueller, the man of God who ran several orphanages in the late 1800’s by faith alone.
As one day dragged into the next, with no answer from God, our prayers became even more urgent! “God!” we cried. “You’re running out of time! What will become of us? How will You be glorified if You do not provide for Your children?” To say I struggled with doubt would be an understatement.
March 1st dawned a beautiful, sunny day. At 11:30 a.m. my husband said to me, “Well, shall we drive downtown to pick up our mail?” I admit I was discouraged. It seemed to me that God had not heard our desperate plea. “Sure, “ I answered. “Whatever.”
When Dan handed me the pile of mail I went through it quickly, stopping at an envelope with a return address of Florida. FLORIDA? “Who do we know from Florida?” I asked. My husband shook his head, answering that we had no acquaintances there. My hands shook as I opened the envelope, only to have a $1,000 CHECK FALL OUT!
“What?” I screamed. “We have received $1000 on March 1st!!! Our deadline day! We began to shout our praises, lifting our hands, tears streaming down our faces as we worshipped the God who can do the impossible!
There was a letter enclosed. I proceeded to read how my brother had gone to his church board the beginning of January asking if they would be willing to release some mission funds to his missionary sister. The board agreed to send us $1000. After a few days their treasurer forwarded said letter to the district treasurer. Turned out he was vacationing in Florida for the winter. His mail was eventually forwarded to him where he admitted he hung onto the check for a few days so that he could send us a letter along with the check.
A check which JUST HAPPENED to arrive in our mailbox on…..March 1st.
Psalm 37:25 - 26 says, “ I was young and now I am old yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.”
Are you up against the wall today? Do your problems seem insurmountable? Do you feel like you’ve prayed and prayed and heaven is silent? The same God who delivered my family is still in business. Do not waver. Keep praying. He will never forsake you, He will meet your every need.
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your Faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.” Lamentations 3:23-24