God's bigness for the plan-o-holic

*Today’s post was written by my friends Hillary and Natalie. These precious women are sisters and there aren’t enough words to describe how much I look up to these girls. From the year I started eighth grade until I finished high school, I lived in Indiana. I met Hillary and Natalie through our church youth group, and Hillary became one my best friends. Every high school girl needs at least one friend who loves Jesus. I was so lucky to have Hillary in my life! Now, Hillary and Natalie teach a high energy fitness class at their church three times a week, and the class is packed! At least 100 women come to their class to work out, find community, and pray together. I’ve been lucky enough to attend one of their classes, and there is really nothing like it. Hillary and Natalie maintain a blog called Sister Fitness. You should check it out for some encouragement and fitness and health tips. (And if you live in the Anderson, Indiana area, you must attend their Zumba class at Madison Park Church!)

Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

This quote became a reality for us during the month of July.  It all started as we sat across from a friend at our local breakfast joint.  We were there to dream about a way we could do more with the little that we had.

For the past four years our fitness class of 100+ women has come together on one evening each year to workout to music for the good of a local “women in crisis” shelter, Dove Harbor.  Each year, that hour of working out generated about $700 that we then handed over to Dove Harbor as our donation.

This year we felt the Holy Spirit’s tug on our heart to do more.  Side note:  Have you ever felt that tug on your heart from the Holy Spirit?  The same little voice that gently tells you not to eat all of the grapes in your grocery cart before you weigh and pay for the bag?   The same little voice that points out the hard truth that the tone you just used with your husband or children might not have been the tone of a grace-filled wife/mommy?

Well….  it was THAT voice we heard that morning at breakfast.  The unmistakable, unavoidable voice of God that said, “Trust them.  Trust Me.  Watch what I will do.”

So we did…  we trusted our class with the $700 of our own money we normally would’ve put in the hands of Dove Harbor.  Instead of writing a safe check to the organization that $700 was intended for, we cashed the $700 check into $5 bills and handed each one of our class participants $5.

With a charge from us to “multiply your $5 over the next 30 days and bring back your blessed efforts for Dove Harbor” our class set out on a 30 day adventure of trusting, humbling ourselves, and waiting for God to move in and around our efforts.

Those efforts produced $13,704.95 for Dove Harbor!  That’s right…  in 30 days, 140 people turned $700 into $13,704.95.

Have you ever been humbled by your small understanding of God’s bigness?  We have been brought to our knees in humble adoration of the One who is the author of everything good.  God planned this blessing for Dove Harbor all along.  He knew the total amount that would be turned back into us even before he planted the dream of doing something “bigger” in our minds.

What a lesson for our lives.  God is 13,704 steps ahead of us.  He knows our future struggles, and is preparing even TODAY the solution to our problems unknown.  He knows the plans he has for us…  they are plans to prosper us…  plans to give us hope…  plans to give us a future.  As recovering plan-a-holics this is so comforting for us!

God’s plans for us also are instrumental in the plans for others.  Our class’s willingness to participate in this act of faith during July prospered Dove Harbor!  Dove Harbor received hope and a future because of our obedience to trust and relinquish control of our own small $700.

Be encouraged.  God is on the throne and loves you!

xx
Hillary & Natalie