Great post Zach. Really identified with the feelings you expressed. My daughter was born at 0530 to two parents already afraid of the Cystic Fibrosis diagnosis that was all but sure to come, and it did. Five hours later at 1030 I received an email that said my job of the last six years was gone. The company simply closed. Spent two months waiting on my next, and current gig. All while learning about this new disease and wondering just how the bills were going to be paid as the accounts got smaller and smaller.
"Any coward can plan his savings, or map out a 401k. It takes a man to hold a baby."
Amen, bro. Been there. (Am there!)
The Lord decided the best time to give my wife and I our first son was while we were in the middle of following Him on faith around the country living in a Jeep Grand Cherokee that He had provided us. It was almost 3.5 years of divine appointments (and as fun as that phrase sounds, it was ridiculously challenging).
We were living on literal daily bread, spiritually and materially. The Lord was always on time, and often that was a lot later than either her or I would have preferred.
We had both forsaken our careers (both rooted in the occult, witchcraft, and demonic powers), so neither of us had that. The Lord provided financially for us in completely un-predictable ways for almost 3 years.
I was completely terrified, man, with all of what you described here.
"I live in a JEEP!.. and You're giving me a kid?! No. No. No. No. NO."
That's when He showed me that "reward" in Psalm 127:3 means "payment."
"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward."
Literally, God was paying me in children, and if He was going to pay me with a child, He would surely provide what that child needed to live and thrive in life.
We asked Him if/when He would give us a place to dwell that wasn't the Jeep, and He said "in the 11th hour of your pregnancy." I calculated that, and technically, the 11th hour of a 9-month pregnancy is 8.25 months or 33 weeks.
No joke man, at the 11th hour of the 11th hour -- the very end of the 33rd week -- we miraculously received a place to dwell for about 6 months. My wife gave birth to our son with an amazing midwife, and he just recently turned 2 years old, and the Lord gave us ANOTHER one (!) shortly thereafter.
He brought us off the road and into an amazing house that literally no one but God could have gotten us. There is no reason but the Providence of the Lord that we are where we are now, circumstantially, relationally, and spiritually.
One of the greatest blessings He has given me -- besides salvation, my wife, and our kids -- is to know HIM as the Provider for my family. Not me. Not a job. Not a human. Not a company.
God.
Now, for sure, I have been designed to occupy a particular kind of function on the earth as His son and within our home, but I'm not the Source. He is.
This is a beautiful vulnerable moment. Thank you for the reminder of what really matters.
Nailed it again, my friend. Thank you.
Honored by your kindness as always chase!!
Great post Zach. Really identified with the feelings you expressed. My daughter was born at 0530 to two parents already afraid of the Cystic Fibrosis diagnosis that was all but sure to come, and it did. Five hours later at 1030 I received an email that said my job of the last six years was gone. The company simply closed. Spent two months waiting on my next, and current gig. All while learning about this new disease and wondering just how the bills were going to be paid as the accounts got smaller and smaller.
"Any coward can plan his savings, or map out a 401k. It takes a man to hold a baby."
Amen, bro. Been there. (Am there!)
The Lord decided the best time to give my wife and I our first son was while we were in the middle of following Him on faith around the country living in a Jeep Grand Cherokee that He had provided us. It was almost 3.5 years of divine appointments (and as fun as that phrase sounds, it was ridiculously challenging).
We were living on literal daily bread, spiritually and materially. The Lord was always on time, and often that was a lot later than either her or I would have preferred.
We had both forsaken our careers (both rooted in the occult, witchcraft, and demonic powers), so neither of us had that. The Lord provided financially for us in completely un-predictable ways for almost 3 years.
I was completely terrified, man, with all of what you described here.
"I live in a JEEP!.. and You're giving me a kid?! No. No. No. No. NO."
That's when He showed me that "reward" in Psalm 127:3 means "payment."
"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward."
Literally, God was paying me in children, and if He was going to pay me with a child, He would surely provide what that child needed to live and thrive in life.
We asked Him if/when He would give us a place to dwell that wasn't the Jeep, and He said "in the 11th hour of your pregnancy." I calculated that, and technically, the 11th hour of a 9-month pregnancy is 8.25 months or 33 weeks.
No joke man, at the 11th hour of the 11th hour -- the very end of the 33rd week -- we miraculously received a place to dwell for about 6 months. My wife gave birth to our son with an amazing midwife, and he just recently turned 2 years old, and the Lord gave us ANOTHER one (!) shortly thereafter.
He brought us off the road and into an amazing house that literally no one but God could have gotten us. There is no reason but the Providence of the Lord that we are where we are now, circumstantially, relationally, and spiritually.
One of the greatest blessings He has given me -- besides salvation, my wife, and our kids -- is to know HIM as the Provider for my family. Not me. Not a job. Not a human. Not a company.
God.
Now, for sure, I have been designed to occupy a particular kind of function on the earth as His son and within our home, but I'm not the Source. He is.