Water from a Rock
In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them.
Nehemiah 9:15
As a Mom, Christmas time brings new financial pressures. It’s been a long 11 years of schooling. I’m finishing up a doctoral degree in clinical psychology. Even saying that, I think, “Gees, that sounds bad, and it has been a long time,” of struggling, praying, and hoping for the light at the end of the tunnel to burst through the darkness. People have said, “Oh, you have such an amazing faith, Kristina.” I recently started saying, “I’m not amazing; I’m desperate!” I have a friend or two who know the intensity of the desperation of finances, special needs expenses, and the debt and brokenness we’ve experienced, but only a couple. Most people think I have it all together and I don’t have any major needs. I guess when you don’t look like you are “in need,” people assume you aren’t. And I suppose since I quote scripture, teach about the Bible and encourage people, many people will be surprised by what they are about to read.
It was nearly Christmas and due to school expenses, a health scare for myself, and my husband’s surgery, we ended up paying most of our “must pay bills” and our medical bills with $30 left over. I’m serious: $30! I teared up and I said to God, “I will not freak out, I will have faith!” My kids were asking me when we were going shopping for Christmas and my daughter wanted to bake some Christmas cookies. She asked me to take her to the store to get what she needed. I tried not to show my emotions in front of my kids but I said, “I can’t take you to the store tonight (literally), but we’ll go sometime next week, and your dad and I will go shopping soon.”
I asked God to bring some money “out of the blue.” I told Him it was all His anyway. I also decided to praise Him for whom He is instead of focus on what I didn’t have. The following Sunday, I went to church not feeling anything; I guess feeling numb is a good thing sometimes. I praised, I thanked Him for who He is, and I told Him I would live by faith. It’s all I had.On Monday, I woke up early, checked my bank account to make sure that the $30 hadn’t accidentally gotten smaller, and my account read $733! I rubbed my eyes a few times because, after all, I hadn’t had any coffee yet. Sure enough, I looked closer. I had received a $700 scholarship from school. I had applied for a scholarship in August, but now it was December! I jumped up and down praising God. We should have enough for groceries, gas, and a few things for the kids for Christmas. I was so excited; He provided money out of the blue!
It seems however, that as soon as the money arrived, it disappeared. I tithed, both my children needed money for their lunch accounts at school, the hospital needed money down for my husband’s upcoming surgery, a prescription needed to be filled, my car needed gas, my husband’s truck needed gas, and my son needed a haircut. He had a shag hairstyle not to be stylish, but because I hadn’t had the money for a haircut. Needless to say, I was down to about $120. I was a little fearful that the $120 would turn into $20 in two seconds. I was sad, wondering how we would afford Christmas for the kids. I prayed. I said, “God, will you provide $500 for us for Christmas; I’ve always spent $250 on each child, and they are making their lists, looking up prices, and making sure they total no more and no less than $250….. I watched them, and I said, “Oh Lord, I know You are faithful.” God brought a scripture to my mind:
“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
Matthew 7:11
I was pumped! I was so excited about that scripture. I focused on that scripture all week. I also praised Him continually. I figured that since He inhabits praise, I wanted to be praising, praising, praising! A person can’t worry and praise at the same time. A person can’t be full of fear when they are full of faith, so I kept on praising and quoting scriptures. It kept me sane and it got me through the week. I went to church the following Sunday, and I told God, “I don’t feel anything, but I know You are God. I’m not here because of how I feel. I’m here because of who You are, and I’m praising You for who You are today. That’s it.”
I started telling God, “I know you will bring water from a rock! I know my children will have gifts for Christmas. I have absolutely no room for doubt – only faith!” I had an amazing time of worship. I cried! The music was beautiful, my needs were great, and God was bigger than all of it. Our pastor started preaching. It was a great message. It became an amazing message when my pastor said…
“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
Matthew 7:11
I about came out of my chair! That was the exact verse that God brought to my mind that I had been clinging to all week! Then the pastor said that next weekend the church was going to give away $500 to three people in the 9 a.m. service, randomly chosen based on the number on your seat! I thought, “Wow, God, I wonder if that will be me?” I told God that if someone else needed it worse than me to keep their lights turned on or buy food, by all means – let them have it, but in my heart I knew that God knew that I knew that it was all His anyway, and He could afford to pay for that person’s lights and my kids’ Christmas. I prayed for $500 however He decided to do it. I didn’t need to be sitting in a certain seat to be blessed by God; He could get $500 out of a rock – just like He did with the water!
During that day and on Monday, I had about seven people call me who were very sad and upset and lacking faith. I encouraged them and told them that God is faithful! I quoted scripture. It helped me to hear myself say it to them; after all, I was living it – I had to! A part of me wanted to tell them what I was going through, but I didn’t want them to think I wanted money from them, so I kept it to myself. I told God that it’s all His money anyway. I wasn’t expecting people to meet my needs. I was waiting on God to do it. Besides, when someone calls you crying, you don’t say, “Oh believe you me, I know: I’m in an even drier desert than you!” Besides, I might have been in the desert, but I was waiting on my Savior to bring water from a rock, and I knew that He would. I truly wasn’t upset.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t a robot without feelings; I was simply choosing not to focus on those feelings. If I did, they would swallow me whole! Granted, I may not have been feeling much. I was rather numb at this point, but I was at least living on the Word like it was bread because for me, it literally was! I even had two non-believing friends ask me about my faith that week. I answered their questions and told them about God. I’ll be honest. Deep down I was thinking, “If you guys only knew how much I am expecting God to deliver me this week. I’m desperate!” But, I kept that to myself.
My husband was struggling, and all of the Christmas lights that he used to create a Christmas tree design in our front yard were not working. He didn’t put them on the house this year because of his upcoming surgery, but he tried to make a nice Christmas tree in the front yard. He also strung the lights on the candy canes that lined the walkway. Only one measly section lit up. It was sad. I think my husband was dejected about the lights and that we didn’t know how we were going to buy our kids gifts. He decided to just turn the lights off. I didn’t know what was worse: leaving one measly strand on or leaving all of them off. My husband was also probably gloomy about his upcoming surgery and its cost. There was just an all around bleakness at our house.
I told God, “Okay, it looks pretty bad in the physical sense around here, and it feels pretty bad in the physical sense around here, but I will not give into it in the spiritual! I can’t! I know You will show up! You must because if You don’t show up, we are doomed and my kids will be sad – therefore, I know You will show up, and I know You will bring water from a rock!”
I even shared my “water from a rock” scripture with my husband so much that he started asking me if the rock with the water had shown up yet. He smiled and hugged me when he said it, but I could tell he was wondering when the water would come. I said, “No, but it will!” My husband asked if he should ask his mom to watch the kids this coming Saturday so we could go Christmas shopping…. even though we didn’t have any money to spend… well, we did have $120 to our name, but we both knew we would need gas and milk again… so we were thinking we would be at the dollar store being creative with stocking stuffers….. I said, “Yeah, go ahead and ask your mom! The rock and the water will show up by Saturday and if not, we can spend time together, so go ahead and ask her. I think he thought I was a little nuts talking about water from a rock and scheduling a babysitter so we could go Christmas shopping without any money – to which I said,
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.”
Isaiah 55:1
I think my husband was kind of getting a kick out of me and/or he was thinking I had truly lost my mind. I was starting to hear lies from the enemy that I was nuts and that God wasn’t going to show up, but I said, “No! I will believe!”
“Blessed is she who believes that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.”
Luke 1:45
It was a challenging week. For every doubt that came to me, for every worry that was spoken to me by my husband, children and/or friends regarding their situations, I quoted scripture. I was feeling a little nuts at this point, but I said, “I am not basing this on how I feel – nuts or not!” I was in Warrior Mom survival mode: prayer, scripture, prayer, and more scripture (and repeat again until the miracle shows up). Truly, I was trying not to give into my tears that so wanted to come out. I know it’s okay to cry, but I felt like if I started I wouldn’t be able to stop.
Tuesday, I was preparing for a presentation for one of my classes and praying about finals (and the $500 for my children’s Christmas presents), and I noticed a friend (who knew nothing of my situation) standing on my porch. I hadn’t even heard the doorbell. She does not want me to share her name, so I will honor the request, but buckle up – you are about to be amazed.
She said that during church this past Sunday, God impressed upon her to give me $500 for Christmas! I cried! She cried! I told her about my prayer and she cried even more! We cried tears of joy about how she feels so humbly blessed to be used by God, and I cried about how faithful He is! I just kept thinking, “He brought water from a rock! And He does give good gifts to His children!” God sent her to give me the exact amount that I prayed for! I am thankful for her obedience to our Heavenly Father. I am thankful for our Heavenly Father who does hear every prayer that we pray, and who knows every need before we ask. He just wants us to ask Him. He loves to show up for His children who are expecting Him to do so!
I left the $500 in an envelope with the scripture about water from a rock on the dining room table for my husband, asking him to keep it in a safe place until Saturday. As I drove to my class to give my presentation, I prayed that I could stop crying tears of joy (a nice change from tears of sorrow for so long). I thought it was interesting how your eyes get just as puffy from tears of joy as they do from tears of sadness. I was thankful for my puffy eyes – they looked GREAT! When I got home that night, I pulled up to the house and every Christmas light was working and on! I cried again! (tears of joy). As I walked in the house, wiping tears from my eyes, I said, “Hey, how’d you get the lights working?” to which my husband replied, “We got water from a rock today, I figure I could fix a few lights.”
In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them.
Nehemiah 9:15
“Everyone who has heard about your obedience, so I am full of you over you;”
Romans 16:19
I know the Christmas season just passed, but I am inviting you to be encouraged right now for next Christmas. Get excited about what God is going to do – in and through you – next Christmas. And remember that Christmas is only one day – Christ lives within you every moment. Be excited about who God is within you right now and every day after today. And finally, as you walk by faith in the midst of your everyday life, just choose to believe!
There’s Strong. Then There’s God-Strong.
Warrior Moms Unite!
The Warrior Mom Ministry was founded by Kristina Seymour, author of The Warrior Mom Handbook – Equipping Women through the Word, a Bible study for moms who desire to live by faith in the midst of their everyday lives. Kristina has learned that moms can't survive on caffeine and animal crackers alone; women in the Word and in community are united and able to stand firm. To learn more about The Warrior Mom Handbook, the Warrior Mom Ministry, and to sign up for daily encouragement, visit, www.warriormoms.net.
Originally published Tuesday, 26 March 2013.
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