"Here me now, here me now, while I testify!!!"

The title, dearly beloveds, is from TobyMac's song "J-Train," and it's more than appropriate. I'm excited to say that I finally got to see him in concert, and it's a concert I've waited more than 15 years to see! But, it's not the reason I'm blogging....
I have a testimony to share....chuckle...and it's a GOOD one! "Yo, turn me up in my microphone so I can bless God's people! :)

David's brother, Gene, is a living testimony to me of the endless grace of God. Long story short, within the last year he has given his life to Christ, sold out 100% to the Gospel, gave up a 30+ year drug habit, and witnesses to everyone he sees. He's always had a great heart, but when you add Jesus to that mix, you get an awesome servant. Rough around the edges, sure...but I've never seen anyone be such a great example of Jesus with skin on!

Financially, David and I are struggling. I'm being totally transparent here, because if you don't understand the situation, you don't understand the testimony, so here goes...I recently had major surgery that took me out of work for 3 weeks, and will cost quite a bit because I had a deductible to meet. We recently found out that a mistake on our taxes is going to cost us several hundred dollars to correct (it was totally unintentional!). Add to that the need for a couple of crowns and a new roof, and you can understand that the financial stress is suffocating. I know we're not alone--the economic state of this nation tells us that millions of people know exactly how we're feeling. David is working, praise God, as am I, but the input is nowhere near the necessary output. When David's car started to act up, the two of us hadn't a clue what to do next. We have literally thrown up our hands at this point, and said "God, whatever You have to do...we know we are safe in Your arms."

And we are...throughout all of our financial struggles, God has always made a way. At some point, I'll sit here and type up all of the funny ways He's blessed us, up to this point...it's a lot to type! But, this latest story was so cool, I had to single it out:

David's car is acting up, and for the last 3 weekends, he's had to take it out to his brother's house for work, trying to get to the source of the problem. It's a transmission thing, and to correctly fix it, it's going to take more of that stuff we don't have--money. Then we get a phone call, from Gene, and he tells us a story that sounds like it came out of a movie:

Gene's driving his truck out of his subdivision when he sees a pit bull attacking a middle-aged woman and her friend. The ladies are screaming, but the dog bites one woman, and won't let go. Gene slams his truck into park, grabs a big piece of wood, and goes after the dog, who eventually runs off. He loads the ladies into the truck and starts to drive, but then the dog goes after two children! He chases the dog with his truck, and the kids get away, but by this point, he's livid. The pit bull goes into a field, and Gene, with the ladies in his truck, charges the truck into the field with the full-on intention of running this evil dog over. At the last second, the dog hides under a bush, so Gene doesn't get to smash him, but he winds up in the yard of the dog's owner.

Evidently, this dog owner has several malicious pits, and after a confrontation, Gene convinces him that the dog is not in it's kennel (because the dog ran up to Gene as he was sitting in the truck, and tried to bite his legs). The police are called, and Gene helps these very-shaken women back to their home, where the husband of one of the ladies is coming home from work. She was actually bitten very badly, and is understandably traumatized.

The husband (this is where it gets good!) tells Gene he was just getting home from working at his transmission shop!!! He says, "Man, Gene, you just saved my wife's life! Is there anything I can do for you?" And Gene replies, "Well, I have a brother who's having transmission problems that I've not been able to fix. Can you help him?"

So now this grateful gentleman not only properly diagnosed David's transmission problem; he's fixing it at no cost for labor!!!!!

Is God not totally awesome in the way He takes care of His kids?!?!?!?!?

I wanted to share this testimony, not only to give honor to God, but to also kinda make a cyber-monument to honor God in a modern-Israelite fashion. These are the kind of events that remind us that He listens...He sees...and He knows. He is a good God, and He is a perfect Father to His crazy, wild kids.

Oh...and David's car will most likely be fixed this week! :)