Meet George Mueller

It was a cold January Sunday, and I can honestly say I was feeling rather low and lonely. After having spent the evening at Katie's mothers house with her and the kids, we had decided to go and visit a church service close by. I had not set foot in a church other than an occasional visit to my dad's church in over 7 years. (not going to church is another God story for another time I would say, but it had been vital in my walk with Father to not be there). But I was desperate for something, for what I wasn't sure. Whatever "it" was, I suppose I was hoping to find a glimpse at the church.

Not to offend anyone, but it did not happen. It was a typical church service I was used to in the south, but I did not sense the Holy Spirit speaking a word to me through what happened there that morning. So, we went back to the house and around 2pm that afternoon, I noticed something unusual. Quietness! The reason this was unusual is because we have four kids and the boys were 4 and 2, and typically not quiet. As I walked around, I realized the boys were sleeping along with Katie and her mom and my girls were both reading. Therefore, I decided to join them and went to located a book.

In the Sharps computer room is a built in wall shelf full of books. Novels, fiction, non-fiction, and various other forms of reading. As I scanned the books I saw Helen Keller's name, and a few others. I almost set about to read one, but decided to give it one more look. I asked God, "What do you want me to read?" That is when I saw the name, George Mueller.

Located on the shelf was a book that I had read back in middle school. I picked it up and decided I would see what I could remember about George Mueller. As I started I realized it was an auto-biography. George telling his own story. I have always liked hearing the story from the horses mouth so to speak.

I encourage you  to read this mans story on your own if you can, but an overview is this. He was raised to be a clergyman, but not for God, but rather for the money. He lived a life of sin as a youth, until God radically transformed him. He then carried on in the service of God, but not for money anymore. He pastored and served in Germany in the mid 1800's. Then God started working in his heart regarding money.

George was paid by his church to be the pastor. George began to question this in his heart and felt led to stop receiving salary for preaching. He felt as if God wanted him to trust Him and only Him for his needs. Also, he felt receiving a salary would give the leaders in the church a possibility to sway what he was preaching if they did not like what God had to say. So he stopped receiving salary and placed a box for donations at the back of the building.

George also was strongly convicted to not tell anyone of his needs except God alone. When they were in need of money, food, clothes, etc, George would take it only to God and await his answer. George repeatedly said, "I want the world and God's people to know that God provides for His children!" That was the only reason George ever published his story, so God's people would know that God provides.

I was captivated on that Sunday afternoon, and I read for hours. My next 7 days, I spent every free minute, usually at night before going to sleep, reading this man's story. And God started to move in my heart.........

The Lows before the Highs

It has been awhile since I have been here, mainly because I was having issues figuring out a  few things. But here we finally are.

This is the beginning of a story, my story, of learning my God will provide. It is a story of Lows before the Highs.

Back in January of 2014, I was in a very dark place. I honestly felt as if there was a time God had forgotten me and had left me in a horrible place to just live out my days till death. My wife, I and our 4 kids were not happy at all. Yes, we were blessed with a roof, food, and transportation, but we felt as if we were on an Island all alone and so far from our friends(distance wise) that we were literally alone. I had gone from being very successful on my own in Real Estate to returning to the family company (same industry) and was now making a 1/5th of what we were making. I believed it to be a journey so I could help my family and be a witness to them, but with every passing day, all the issues we had wrestled with in the past only grew in their size. I was getting no where and frustration was setting in. I had left all this 8 years prior and done well for 5 years on my own, but now I was in a financial whole that was getting bigger by the moment.

This frustration boiled over into our daily routine as a family and tempers were short, stress was high, and being captivated in a one bedroom, one bath house with lots of issues was not helping. Everytime I tried to convince myself God was going to do something good from this, another bad thing happened and our situation would worsen. I was ready to leave it all behind again but was unable to do so because of my financial situation plus I resided on a family farm and had no money to either rent or buy anywhere else.

I felt HOPELESS.

My wife and two other friends were the only ones I could confide in. My world was so small and getting smaller, and for a guy who loves people, this was causing major issues. I would wrestle in my brain with situations and and I would let m y family "have it" in my mind. Yet if I said it outloud, my whole world could come crushing in.

The tipping point came on January 8th when our water froze and a genius decided to pour gas on our well tank to unthaw the top in order to work on the lines. This allowed gas to enter the water supply and my wife was at the end of her rope. So her and the kids moved to her moms house till the issue could be resolved and I stayed behind to handle the chores of feeding our sheep, chickens, dogs, and cats.

So now not only had I gone from success to the brink of financial ruin, now I was having to face the challenges alone in my house. I cried to God and said, "What are you doing?"

The years prior my walk was amazing. I could hear His voice as I walked in the fields and I could learn at His feet in the middle of His creation, all the while, He was more than providing for my needs. Now He seemed to have moved on and left me to fend for myself, literally.

As I pondered these things, God brought me to a book I had not read since middle school. It was the Auto-biography of George Mueller - and this is where the Journey of remembering began.......

Start of a Journey....

Hey, my name is Ray. Husband to Katie and father to four great kids. Hailey, Raygan. Truett, and Knox.

In the past few months, Daddy, (aka God), has been up to a lot of stuff in our lives. I have started this journal in hopes our story encourages others to know God provides and cares for His own. My hope is this will become a place others can submit their stories of His provisions to help lift up His people.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you enjoy the journey.