Water from a Rock
In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them.
As a Mom, Christmas time brought new financial pressures. It’s been a long 11 years. Even saying that, I think, “Gees, that sounds bad, and it has been a long time,” of struggling, praying, and hoping for the light at the end of the tunnel to burst through the darkness. People have said, “Oh, you have such an amazing faith, Kristina.” I recently started saying, “I’m not amazing; I’m desperate!” I have a friend or two who knows the intensity of the desperation of finances, special needs expenses, and the debt and brokenness we’ve experienced, but only 1 or 2. Most people just think, I have it all together, and I don’t have any major needs. I guess when you don’t look like you are “in need,” people assume you aren’t. And I guess since I quote Scripture, teach about the Bible and encourage people, many people will be surprised by what they are about to read.
Recently, due to the last 11 years, and a recent health scare for myself, on top of my husband’s bilateral hernia, we ended up paying most of our “must pay bills” and our medical bills with $30 left over. I’m serious: $30! I teared up, and I said to God, “I will not freak out, I will have faith!” My kids were asking me when we were going shopping for Christmas, and my daughter wanted to bake some Christmas cookies; she asked me to take her to the store to get what she needed. I tried not to tear up in front of my kids but I said, “I can’t take you to the store tonight (literally), but we’ll go some-time next week, and me and your dad will go shopping soon.”
I asked God to bring some money “out of the blue.” I told Him it was all His anyway. I also decided to praise Him for who He is instead of focus on what I didn’t have. The following Sunday, I went to church not feeling anything; I guess feeling numb is a good thing sometimes. I praised, I thanked Him for who He is, and I told Him I would live by faith; I was living by faith (literally). It’s all I had.
Monday, I woke up early, checked my bank account to make sure that the $30 hadn’t accidentally gotten smaller, and my account read $733.00! I rubbed my eyes a few times because, after all, I hadn’t had any coffee yet. Sure enough, I looked closer. I got a $700.00 scholarship from school (I’m in a doctorate program for clinical psychology). I remember applying for the scholarship in August, but now it was December! I jumped up and down praising God. We should have enough for groceries, gas, and a few things for the kids for Christmas. I was so excited; He provided money out of the blue!
It seems however, that as soon as the money arrived, it disappeared. I tithed 10%, both my children needed money for their lunch accounts at school, the hospital needed money down for my husband’s upcoming surgery, a prescription needed to be filled, my car needed gas, my husband’s truck needed gas, and my son needed a haircut. He had the shag hairstyle not to be stylish but because I hadn’t had the money for a haircut. Needless to say, I was down to about $120.00. I was a little fearful that the $120 would turn into $20 in 2 seconds. I was sad, wondering how we would afford Christmas for the kids. I prayed. I said, “God, will you provide $500 for us for Christmas; I’ve always spent $250 on each child, and they are making their lists, looking up prices and making sure they total no more and no less than $250….. I watched them, and I said, “Oh Lord, I know You are faithful.” As my eyes teared up, but God brought a Scripture to my mind:
“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifs to those who ask him!”
I was pumped! I was so excited about that Scripture. I focused on that Scripture all week. I also praised Him continually. I figure that since He inhabits praise, I wanted to be praising, praising, praising! A person can’t worry and praise at the same time. A person can’t be full of fear when they are full of faith, so I kept on praising and quoting Scriptures. It kept me sane and it got me through the week. I went to church the following Sunday, and I told God, “I don’t feel anything, but I know You are God. I’m not here because of how I feel. I’m here because of who You are, and I’m praising You for who You are today. That’s it.”
I started telling God, “I know you will bring water from a rock! I know my children will have gifts for Christmas. I have absolutely no room for doubt – only faith!” I had an amazing time of worship. I cried! The music was beautiful, my needs were great, and God was more beautiful and bigger than all of it. Our pastor started preaching. It was a great message. It became an amazing message when my pastor said…
“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifs to those who ask him!”
I about came out of my chair! That was the exact verse that God brought to my mind! I had been clinging to it all week! Then, the pastor said that next weekend, the church as going to give away $500 to 3 people in the 9 am service, randomly chosen based on the number on your seat! I thought, “Wow, God, I wonder if that will be me?”
I told God that if someone else needed it worse than me to keep their lights turned on or buy food, by all means – let them have it, but in my heart I knew that God knew that I knew that it was all His anyway, and He could afford to pay for that person’s lights and my kids’ Christmas. I prayed for $500 however He decided to do it. I didn’t need to be sitting in a certain seat to be blessed by God; He could get $500 out of a rock – just like He did with the water! During that day (Sunday) and Monday, I had about seven people call me who were just very sad and upset, without faith. I encouraged them, and I told them that God is faithful! I quoted scripture. It helped me to hear myself say it to them; after all, I was living it – I had to!
A part of me wanted to tell them what I was going through, but I didn’t want them to think I wanted money from them, so I kept it to myself. I told God that it’s all His money anyway. I wasn’t expecting people to meet my needs anyway. I was waiting on God to do it. Besides, I was ministering to people who were in need of faith and encouragement. I didn’t want them to think I wanted them to provide a Christmas for my kids. I knew God would do it in His mighty mysterious way. Besides, when someone calls you crying, you don’t say, “Oh believe you me, I know: I’m in a more dry desert than you!” Besides, I might have been in the desert, but I was waiting on my Savior to bring water from a rock, and I knew that He would. I truly wasn’t upset. Now, don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t a robot with no feelings; I was simply choosing not to focus on those feelings. If I did, they would swallow me whole! Granted, I may not have been feeling much, I was rather numb at this point, but I was at least living on the Word like it was bread because for me, it literally was! I even had 2 non-believing friends ask me about my faith that week. I answered their questions and told them about God. I thought it was an interesting week. I’ll be honest, deep down I was thinking, “If you guys only knew how much I am expecting God to deliver me this week; I’m desperate!” But, I kept that to myself. They were asking me about my God and my faith; I didn’t want them to think I was faithless. I only share how people seemed to come out of the wood-work because I think it’s interesting that when I “feel” like I truly having nothing to offer anyone – there’s always faith.
I think my husband was struggling with physical pain and some sadness, and all of the Christmas lights that he worked so hard to create a Christmas tree design in our front yard were not working. He didn’t put them on the house this year because of his bilateral hernia, but he tried to make a nice Christmas tree in the front yard. He also strung the lights on the candy-canes that lined the walk-way. Only one measly section lit up. It was sad. I think my husband was sad that we didn’t know how we were going to buy the kids gifts, and he was sad about the lights (they represented our physical existence at the moment – barely on – one measly strand in the darkness.) So, he decided to just leave them off.
I didn’t know what was worse: one measly strand or all of them out. My husband was probably sad about his upcoming surgery and the cost of that. There was just an all -round bleakness at our house.
I told God, “Okay, it looks pretty bad in the physical sense around here, and it feels pretty bad in the physical sense around here, but I will not give into it in the spiritual! I can’t! I know You will show up! You must because if You don’t show up, we are doomed and my kids will be sad – therefore, I know You will show up, and I know You will bring water from a rock!”
I even shared my “water from a rock” scripture with my husband so much that he started asking me if the rock with the water had shown up yet. He smiled and hugged me when he said it, but I could tell he was wondering when the water would come. I said, “No, but it will!” My husband asked if he should ask his mom to watch the kids this coming Saturday so we could go Christmas shopping…. even though we didn’t have any money to spend… well, we did have $120 to our name, but we both knew we would need gas and milk again… so we were thinking we would be at the dollar store being creative with stocking stuffers…..
I said, “Yeah, go ahead and ask your mom! The rock and the water will show up by Saturday and if not, we can spend time together anyway, and it will come at least before Christmas so go ahead and ask her. I think he thought I was a little nuts talking about water from a rock and scheduling a baby-sitter so we could go Christmas shopping without any money – to which I said,
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.”
I think my husband was kind of getting a kick out of me and/or he was thinking I had truly lost my mind. I was starting to hear lies from the enemy that I was nuts and that God wasn’t going to show up, but I said, “No! I will believe!”
“Blessed is she who believes that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.”
It was a challenging week. For every doubt that came to me, for every worry that was spoken to me by my husband, children and/or friends regarding their situations, I quoted Scripture. I was feeling a little nuts at this point, but I said, “I am not basing this on how I feel – nuts or not!” I was in Warrior survival mode: prayer, scripture, prayer, and more Scripture (and repeat again until the miracle shows up). Truly, I was trying not to give into my tears that so wanted to come out. I know it’s okay to cry, but I felt like if I started I wouldn’t be able to stop.
Tuesday, I was preparing for a presentation for one of my classes, and praying about finals (and the $500 for my children’s Christmas presents), and I noticed a friend (who knew nothing of my situation) standing on my porch. I hadn’t even heard the doorbell. She does not want me to share her name, so I will honor the request, but buckle up – you are about to be amazed.
She said that during church this past Sunday, God impressed upon her to give me $500 for Christmas! I cried! She cried! I told her about my prayer and she cried even more! We cried tears of joy about how she feels so humbly blessed to be used by God, and I cried about how faithful He is! I just kept thinking, “He brought water from a rock! And He does give good gifts to His children!” God sent her to give me the exact amount that I prayed for! I am thankful for her obedience to our Heavenly Father. I am thankful for our Heavenly Father who does hear every prayer that we pray, and who knows every need before we ask. He just wants us to ask Him. He loves to show up for His children who are expecting Him to do so!
I left the $500 in an envelope with the scripture about water from a rock on the dining room table for my husband, asking him to keep it in a safe place until Saturday. As I drove to my class to give my presentation, I prayed that I could stop crying tears of joy (nice change from tears of sorrow for so long). I thought it was interesting how your eyes still get puffy from tears of joy as they do from tears of sadness. I was thankful for my puffy eyes – they looked GREAT!
When I got home that night, I pulled up to the house and every Christmas light was working and on! I cried again! (tears of joy). As I walked in the house, wiping tears from my eyes, I said, “Hey, how’d you get the lights working?” to which my husband replied, “We got water from a rock today, I figure I could fix a few lights.”
In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them.
“Everyone who has heard about your obedience, so I am full of you over you;”
I know the Christmas season just passed, but I am inviting you to be encouraged right now for next Christmas. Get excited about what God is going to do – in and through you – next Christmas. And remember that Christmas in only one day – Christ lives within you every moment. So, as you walk by faith in the midst of your everyday life- just choose to believe!
Kristina Seymour loves to encourage and equip women through the Word and through community. She is the author of The Warrior Mom Handbook, The Warrior Mom Leadership Manual, and The Warrior Wife Handbook; they are available at Amazon.com. Kristina's Bible studies are for women who desire to live by faith in the midst of their everyday lives. She has learned that women can't survive on caffeine and animal crackers alone; women in the Word and in community are united and able to stand firm. To learn more about Kristina, please visit her website, https://kristinaseymour.com/. God loves to share His story of love and grace through us all, and Kristina believes that everyone has a story to tell.