Trying circumstances again...but God's continuing provision!

It's been a trying time of sorts since my last blog post.

I've nearly run out of money again. I need work but despite my very best efforts to get some window cleaning work...I have not been able to secure another job. One business owner offered to give me a pizza in exchange for cleaning his windows...but I need money. Though I might take him up on his offer if I start to get hungry .

The temporary labor places have no work either. I checked on one such place a couple of days ago and they told me that work was so slow or non-existant that it wasn't even worth coming in!

Had about $10 left to my name today. Used up about $3.50 to get a burger and four really thin tacos to eat. Then I used another $5 to get a bus pass for the day in an attempt to find a pawn shop where I could pawn my really nice digital camera. They were all closed.

It was a bit discouraging to say the least!

I've been in tough places before but it's hard to see how the Lord is going to help me out of the general circumstance in which I find myself. Mostly out of work and running out of money.

On the way home by bus...as I sat there discouraged and wondering what in the world I was going to do with only about $1.50 left to my name...it dawned on me that I could possibly use my check debit card to buy some food and get some cash.

Earlier in the day I had found out...that I had accidentally overdrawn my check card by $1.47! When I called to complain about this and to see if there was any way to prevent this in the future (a purchase I had made a couple of days ago had not posted to my account when I last checked the balance and had caused my account to go into the red as a result of my thinking I had more in the account than I actually did)...I was told that this was not preventable and that in fact I cold overdraw the account. But, that penalties would start to be charged to me if I did not make up the negative balance by January 14th.

So..I stopped at Food-4-Less and with some trepidation at the possibility that I would not have anything to eat tomorrow and no way to get around by bus since I only had $1.50 left to my name...I proceeded to go to the checkout with some peanut butter and jelly and bread. I prayed..asking the Lord to please have the purchase go through..and lo and behold...it did! Not only that but when I indicated that I wanted cash back...it processed my request such that I ended up with $20 in cash!!

Thank God!

While at the bus stop waiting for the next bus to get home...I happily munched on bread, peanut butter, and jelly (not necessarily in that order). Using my finger as a knife .

I now have enough to get around by bus one more time. And enough to eat something tomorrow.

And Monday I can go find a pawn shop that is open, pawn my camera, and make up the negative balance in time to meet the deadline for doing so on the 14th (Wednesday).

Better yet...I may still be able to find some more window cleaning work such that I don't have to pawn my camera.

My faith was really tested today. That's for sure.

But...despite the testing of my faith and my getting discouraged at the possibility that I will sink and become destitute...I cannot discount God's living reality in my life from the many times He has shown Himself real to me in the past. Not just in my circumstances but in miraculous ways as I have interacted with Him through prayer. And I cannot discount the nearly miraculous ways in which He opened the doors for me to come to San Diego.

And last but certainly not least...I cannot discount the testimony of the eyewitnesses who wrote in the Bible about the living God. Eyewitnesses like Peter who said that they had not made up the things they had said about Jesus being the Son of God. Or Paul...whose life was turned upside down by an encounter with the living Lord on the road to Damascus. Or even the many hundreds who had seen the risen Lord after His resurection.

I have no choice but to hang on to God in my circumstances and to walk forward. One step at a time. One hour at a time.

Without compromising my stand to work for the food I eat, to not go to soup kitchen as an able bodied man who is able to work, go on welfare, panhandle, beg or otherwise dishonor God by doing such things.

I mean if God is God, He can most certainly provide for me without my having to depend on the arm of man to help me.

And...He provided yet once more for me today! Through an unusual mechanism of our modern banking system whereby I can temporarily overdraw my account and gain a small measure of temporary credit. Something I did not even know was possible with a debit card, until this morning.

There are some things happening on the side that, if they pan out, will be even better. I recently posted a note on craigslist (an internet ad service) that I was willing to trade some computer work to get a small space heater. Well...a gentlemen responded saying that he didn't have a space heater but that he was willing to perhaps pay me some money to help him with his computer. And now his friend is interested in potentially using my services too! If that pans out...it may just be how the Lord will provide for me until window cleaning takes off.

Carlos