It was a typical Sunday in late 2007, a lazy morning followed by getting myself and our young family off to church. As I gathered the girls (8 and 10) and headed out the door, my wife, Michelle, handed me my Bible and asked, “Where’s the offering envelope?”

Sheepishly, I told her, “We can’t afford it.”

She looked at me like a stern teacher (she is not) and told me, “Go get it. We’ll figure it out.”

Not wanting to get into this discussion in front of the girls, I did as she requested, all the while wondering if the check would clear. I remember saying, “Well, they say God will provide,” to lighten the tension.

A little backstory. I am a small business owner and at this point, I was in business for thirteen years. We were far from wealthy, but money had never been an issue. A few months earlier, I noticed a slowdown in business that would eventually extend into most of the next year. The recession was in full swing and it impacted our lives like I hadn’t expected. I was deathly afraid that I could lose our business and even our family home.

At the time, I considered myself a “baby Christian.” I was a believer, but I can’t honestly say that I had a relationship with God. It wasn’t something that I was comfortable outwardly sharing or talking about. How that would change!

I was going to a Wednesday morning men’s group for about a year, and it was safe to say that I didn’t share a lot. Finally, I confided in my one close friend in the group and he encouraged me to share. When someone asked for prayer requests, they were probably shocked to hear me verbally vomit everything that was going on in my life! I shared more that morning than I had the entire previous year. They saw my stress. They immediately circled me and prayed for my family and me.

I broke down crying when I felt the love of God through these men. I felt immediate internal relief, but I knew that would only be temporary if I didn’t continue on a new and deeper journey with God. I confessed that my prayer life was lacking, and one of the biggest issues in my life was how I could find time to run my business, raise two young girls, and still be an attentive husband.  

One of the men who knew I had a mobile business recommended praying while I drove. It made sense. It was by far the quietest and calmest part of my days. It changed everything.

There were times I’d speak to God for thirty minutes straight. Other times I’d have quick “pocket window” prayers. The bottom line is my relationship with God was growing. My faith was growing. My worries were decreasing. My stress was decreasing. My business and family life were improving. I felt like a different man.

I realize that my financial stability is low on the list of God’s concerns. This devotional isn’t about that. It’s about how God intervened in my life and brought me closer to him. I now have such a different outlook on life. I live in faith and believe He will get me through anything. I’ve still had my struggles. I’ve lost both of my parents and Michelle was diagnosed with breast cancer (all good), but now I have the tools to get through it and the faithfulness to know I can rely on God to be there for me. And I am not afraid to share it anymore.