Tomorrow and Tomorrow

"Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth." Proverbs 27:1

"If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" Matthew 6:30

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34

"Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." James 4:14

Yesterday I took a little time to catch up on one of my favorite TV shows. It's a reality show (meaning someone gets eliminated each week), and the mentor on the show turned to the cast and said: "Work like there's no tomorrow, because for one of you, there isn't."

It made me laugh and smile, and really, it totally cracked me up the way he said it. It sounded so profound, yet it was absolutely true for the group of people staring back at him. Then it totally got me thinking about the concept of tomorrow, and what scripture has to say about it. I found these verse above, and each one just made me nod my head in agreement, and I realize how glad I am that I am not worried about tomorrow! I truly am not worried in the least because I know there are plans, I know that God will take care of my precious children- they are so much more precious than sparrows. So much more.

As I sit down with my Bible every day and read scripture after scripture about God's provision, I know He follows through on His promises, and I know He's going to take care of our family. And He already is! Just like that, all those people who asked about Andy's job yesterday also asked about what kind of odd jobs he does. So we told them, and while they may not have anything for him to do, each of those people has a whole network of friends and co-workers who may have a need that Andy can meet. How cool is that? That's not all either- in the last few months, when Andy was working and we didn't know a lay-off was imminent, we were able to pay off some of our debts- poof, monthly expenses gone, just like that. Last week Thursday and Friday I really had it on my heart to share how we expect God to provide, and how we plan to not just sit around and wait for Him to bless us- that we will do what we can as well.

I am so confident in God's provision that all these verse about not worrying about tomorrow are coursing through my veins. God will take care of each and every need- and I don't need to worry about them. I could- I could sit here and figure out the finances and see how poorly we actually stand for long term and I could get really stressed and worried. Except the Bible says "do not worry" and stress is simply a means for the devil to come into our household and stir up trouble. So I don't stress, and I don't worry. I have complete faith in the God who loves us so much. The God who will not give us a rock when I ask for a loaf.

I want to share two very small means of provision that happened in just the last few days. I figure if I keep sharing- even the smallest stuff, that it will continue to bolster and reinforce my faith- and maybe it will help someone else. Last week I made the decision to sell our home school health books that I'd ordered. We really don't like them- used them a few times, but really don't like the program. I listed them online, and didn't receive any response. Meanwhile, I've been reading a lot about boosting our health with vitamin D3 to avoid the flu this season, and I really wanted to order some vitamins for the whole family. Yet, knowing how things are shaking up, I couldn't decide if ordering the vitamins was a wise use of our limited resources. I was thinking about ordering them when an e-mail popped up in my inbox. Did I still have the 4th grade health books? Sure enough, the sale of those books was just enough to pay for the vitamins, so I didn't have to wonder any longer if it was a wise purchase.

Then on Saturday I took Abigail to Old Navy to pick out some new clothes. She had a gift card to spend, and has been in need of new pants. We walk in the door where a big sign is touting the great clearance event going on. As we walk down the aisle towards the kids section, I look to my right and see these bright and colorful women's shirts and a sign that reads $4. Seriously? I looked at the shirts- the price tag did not say $4 but the sign sure did. I looked around and saw other racks that said the same thing! Just last week I was talking about how I wished I had a few new things for my wardrobe. What I really was wanting was a few new summery tops to wear to church. We get really toasty on stage with the worship team at church, so sweaters and warm tops are out. Just like that- I had four new tops that only cost me $12. I couldn't have done that well if I'd gone to a thrift store. And if I'd gone to one of my favorite stores like I wanted, I could have bought half a shirt for that- maybe. God put the desire on Abigail's heart to go spend her gift card on that particular day for a reason. How fun is that to think that God did that just so that He could bless me with some fun new tops that I really wanted!

God will provide for all our needs- and even some of our wants as well. I wouldn't call the vitamins or the new tops needs- but God put them there all the same. He's an awesome God! And He knows exactly what our tomorrow will bring- there is no need for me and my family to worry about our tomorrows. So today I will focus on my today. I have school to get to with the kids, and I have bread to bake, and maybe some chard to harvest. I have a house to clean, and de-germ, and you know what? I'm looking forward to the day. I'm looking forward to seeing what God is going to do today because even though today has enough troubles of its own- it also has plenty of opportunity for God to rain down blessings.

I like that thought- what a great way to start a Monday morning.