Amazing Grace (and this is no woman I'm talking about)

I thought boot camp was over! If you've read my "chronicles" you'd understand what I'm referring to. This may probably be the hardest blog I've written to date as I have to keep out the names to protect the innocent (the innocent being me, as I have been threatened to within an inch of my life not to divulge names).

With our church plant growing ever so slowly but surely, my wife and I have really felt the need to downsize and scale back our living expenses. To this end we are selling our home, I've gotten rid of my really nice truck, and I've also just sold my Harley (parting was such sweet sorrow). All of this downsizing has it's attendant challenges, such as, we need a new truck to pull the trailer with all our equipment in it on Sundays. I had initially considered and even attempted to borrow the money for a used truck, but none of that really panned out. Just when I was beginning to wonder if I was finally at the end of my rope, something that is nothing short of miraculous happened.

Deciding that it was probably best to buy a vehicle outright, I needed to raise $9,000.00 in cash to add to what I already had so that I could pay for a truck outright and not have to worry about monthly payments, which, in our new and scaled down lifestyle would be an added bonus. I called a friend of mine in New England, and a few minutes after we had hung up the phone, he called back and informed me that he and his wife had decided to give $5,000.00 towards the purchase of the truck. After I'd picked up my jaw from the floor and thanked him profusely, I proceeded to call some other friends (also in New England) and share this incredible testimony of God's Amazing Grace. They committed to give us $3,000.00 toward the truck! On a roll now, and thoroughly excited about whatever it was that God had up His proverbial sleeve, I called another friend who happened to be in a plane on the way to Jamaica where he was officiating at a wedding. He pledged to give us the remaining $1,000.00.

As if that isn't enough, I have another friend who figured that, church planting must be pretty arduous work and so decided that my family and I needed a vacation. He proceeded to cover the expenses, including accomodation, airline tickets, and a rental vehicle for my entire family for a trip to South Padre Island in south Texas, for an entire week. I could really get used to this kind of pampering. Seriously though, it's been an incredibly tough battle as we strive to fulfill our purpose in this wonderful city to which we have been called. A friend of mine recently remarked that it would be nice to celebrate the occasional victories as we navigate this uncharted course. I dare say these count as huge causes for celebration. I am truly thankful for God's Amazing Grace demonstrably manifest through incredible people that love His Kingdom and believe in our calling.

My family's deepest gratitude and heartfelt thanks to all of you "glowing angels." You know who your are!