“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him…” -Matthew 5:3 NLT
I have found this to be so true. Eternal Anchor was born out of obedience to God. We saw the need for programs to help neglected children with special needs and families in poverty struggling to effectively care for their special needs child in rural Mexico. We had been witnessing it and yet kept thinking we needed to wait until we were financially stable and “had our lives figured out” before we began a ministry dedicated to meeting the need. We were so wrong. When Jesus walked the earth he didn’t tell his disciples to seek job security and open a savings account so they could be financially stable while serving him. He simply said, “Follow me!” In Matthew 8, a disciple asks Jesus to allow him to first bury his Father and Jesus’ answer is not what we would expect. The disciple didn’t get it. There was an urgency to Jesus’ ministry and he wasn’t going to wait around. The disciple missed his opportunity to serve alongside the Son of God because he wasn’t willing to drop everything and follow him.
I believe God had been calling me to serve and to do it without holding myself back for quite some time. Yet I was hesitant. I can relate with the disciple that felt the need to have things squared away before embarking on an open ended journey with Jesus. We’ve all been like that disciple at some point of our lives. Once I stopped thinking about all ways this ministry could go wrong and told God I was willing to follow Him no matter the outcome, I began to see God provide for our every need.
We started without a house, with no money, without connections and with zero promise of financial support. But we decided to step out in faith, trusting God would take care of our needs as we were being obedient to His calling on our lives to care for the children He placed on our path. And God honored that obedience by providing in ways I never imagined.
God has provided a beautiful compound through the Erma Fennel Foundation free of rent. It is perfect for us! We worried about water because there is a severe drought in our community and yet we have never run out of water. We worried about finances, realizing our savings would eventually run out. But God has blessed us immensely through the generosity of others and we haven’t run out of money.
This is not a reflection on us. It is a reflection on God’s character. He is full of grace. When we hesitate, he does not give up. He patiently awaits us. And when we finally jump out of the boat in faith, he catches us. He provides for our needs because we have placed ourselves in His hands, vulnerable and unmistakably in need of His provision for our lives.
I look forward to the journey ahead at Eternal Anchor. I look forward to watching God provide for our every need and for the strength we need to do this work. Please continue to lift us up in prayer, that we would not grow weary of doing good and that as we face adversity we can turn to God and be encouraged by Him who gives us strength.
