Blessings in disguise

About a year ago, our church was ready to renovate our hall. It was a major undertaking. We would basically tear down the existing structure and build almost a brand new one. It was very expensive. I think the whole cost, including the sanctuary and a gym was close to two million dollars. Needless to say, our church doesn't have that kind of money. But we put it before the Lord in prayer. We felt that whatever God's will is, that is what we will do. The church felt strongly that we should do this in bits and pieces. First would be the hall. Then the sanctuary. And if its feasible, a gym. We felt pretty confident that our loan would be approved. We didn't have a co-signer. But all signs looked positive. In fact, we even moved out of the hall and secured another building. That was a blessing of itself. One of the deacons of the church decided to donate the use of the building. He and his wife owned several properties and they let the church use the facility free of charge. All we had to do was pay for our utilities. What a blessing.

But a funny thing happened on our well layed out plans. At just about the time of our loan application, the bottom began to fall out of our economy. Most of it was in the banking sector. Mortgages and loans were defaulting all over the place. Banks, in turn, stopped most lending. And we were caught in the middle of it. As a result, our loan application was denied. Talk about a devastating blow. Here we were ready to build, and then word comes down that our loan was denied. If you've ever had a loan denied, and I have, it's not a nice feeling. It's like someone telling you you're not worthy. Seeing your dreams dashed before your eyes.

As a result, there was a lot of soul searching. Some felt we moved too soon. Others felt we reached too high. Our loan application was for close to three quarters of a million dollars. We were filled with so much doubt and anxiety. Needless to say, our faith was being challenged. Big time. We spent the last ten months going back and forth with the bank to see what else we could do to secure financing. Finally, in December the bank said if we could raise $60,000 of reserve funds in three months, we would get another shot at our loan. We were happy that we finally got a concrete answer from the bank. But then we looked at the task before us and said, WOW.

But at December's church meeting, there was a real calm and peace about the whole ordeal. Almost to a person, every one in that meeting gave a testimony of why they thought this goal was achievable. No wobbling. No nervousness. No fear. Just a steely determination that this was a test, not from the bank, but from God. It was like He was telling us, "go do it." It was during the Holidays, one of the most financially stressful times. But the Women's Fellowship was the first one to jump in and said they'd donate the proceeds from their fundraiser in February. Then the other branches pitched in. Pretty soon, we had pledges to match the amount needed. But pledging is easy. Doing is harder.

Almost five months later, the deal is done. At four o clock tomorrow, April 30th, our church will close the loan. God was faithful to us. He put us to the test, and He saw us through. In retrospect, being denied that loan was the best thing that could have happened to us. It humbled us. It tested our faith and in the end, it made us stronger. If we would have gotten the approval last year, I think a little bit of pride would have sunk in thinking, "we did this." But the last year taught us a lot. About how to rely on the Lord when all around you is falling apart. About how to rely on each other, to see a common goal through. About how it strengthened the bond of fellowship between our church members. We may be small in numbers, but we are large in spirit. Everyone pitched in. From the person with the most to the person with the least. From the strongest to the weakest. From the oldest to the youngest.

So if you're a member of this church, take a couple of minutes today and thank God for His blessing. But more important, thank God for the journey He's put us on. If you're not a member of this church, pray for us as we embark on this phase of His ministry. Pray that we have the right goals, the right desires and the right heart for His ministry. Pray that all of our best laid plans are also God's plans.

GOD IS GOOD!!! ALL THE TIME!!! ALL THE TIME!!! GOD IS GOOD!!!