The Blessings of the Father

One of the hardest things that I have had to do, spiritually, has been to orchestrate the closing of a church. Central Chritian Church here in beautiful and historic Roswell, NM. When I came here in 2002, it was with high hopes from the church leadership and myself that we could put attendance and outreach back on its feet and become a viable "church entity" again. Well it didn't happen. So our first, best choice was to close it down and that was hard. It was obvious to all of us that closing was God's will, there were personal failure issues we, the leadership, had to deal with. All of us (when I say "us" I refer to the church leadership) sucked up our own egos and did a very good job with the closing. Kathy and I were a little concerned about what was going to happen to us, but God told us not to worry about it, at all. We didn't. Since the 21st of January, the closing date of the church, God has given us a house, a gas efficient car, money to put food on the table, the ability to send Kat and Baby-J to Tampa to visit and minister to Kat's mom upon the death of Kat's step-father and a new full time job for Kat with the city, at the library, which she loves to do. Isn't God good???
Of course I am bragging here, but not about me or Kat or even the people who gifted us with so much, but about God who has provided so much to our family. It is God's provision as reward to our faithfuless that has brought these wonderful blessings to us.
Would God have rewarded us, if we had not been faithful?? I don't think so.
Do we do it because of the rewards?? No, because He would not bless us if our motivations is reward. That is like saying, "God, I am doing this because I know you will give me alot of stuff if I do." That is not the reason God blesses us. He blesses us because He loves us.
Did He have to give all these things?? No, He did it because He loves us.
Better is one day in His house than thousands elsewhere!!