Unfailing Love

And it’s constant in the trial and the change
This one thing remains, this one thing remains
Cause Your love never fails, it never gives up, it never runs out on me
From the song, “One Thing Remains” by Kristian Stanfill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_o6s5X5LSw

Just today, I was relating the story of how our oldest son’s first year of studying at Houghton College was provided for. My colleague and I had been talking about some concerns of late in our family regarding our second son’s continuing on in college. Eric was considering going to a college that cost $30,000 US per year. How on earth were we able to pay for that? Except, this was a question already asked of us over four years ago. Evan actually wrote about it in this blog. The post was called “Provision in Answer to Prayer” (February 6, 2008).

His college then, wanted us to list our assets and give them a copy of our bank account(s) to prove that we could support his education (totalling $120,000 by the time he finished his 4-year degree). At the time, we had about $400 saved up in our bank so we were in a serious quandary. Our money was just a little over one percent of what was needed. =D What could we do? How would we provide for him? A little later, I suggested that we write, “The Lord God Almighty will provide” in our application form. Eng thought I was crazy but he relented, got the paper notarized at the US Consulate, and sent it off. =)

Because nothing is impossible with God, Evan was accepted at Houghton College in spite how we responded to their forms. For those who regularly read this blog, you already know he graduated last May 2012. Currently, he pays $80 a month to pay for his school loan totalling (drumroll, please) just a little over $5,000. It is mind boggling that the difference of $115,000 was provided for from the total but that is exactly what God did. Evan received scholarships every year, had part-time jobs throughout the school year, two summer jobs, and financial gifts. The biggest gift was for $10,000 US and the smallest was $5,000. They were given by people we hardly knew. I’d known the lady who gave us the $10,000 for barely 3 days. We just met at a week-long silent retreat so we couldn’t even talk a whole lot. =) She was convicted by God, pointing out to me different sections in our collective prayer one morning. It was almost as if she was convincing me why she was giving Evan the money! I was just flabbergasted; I didn’t even know what to say! When I found my tongue, I explained that Evan hadn’t even been accepted by his college yet. Once he was, I told her I'd write her. True to her word, once she heard from me, she immediately transferred the funds to Houghton.

God’s love will do what I just narrated. His ways doesn’t make sense but He is able to work it out. From nowhere, stuff just happens and we just find ourselves with our needs accounted for. I’d learned not to figure it out because it’s inexplicable. Truly, God’s ways are higher than ours. We can allow ourselves to be stressed with our situations, or we can choose to be in complete peace as we wait on Him to provide. Either way, He will come through for all of us. His love never fails, it never gives up, and it never runs out. Really! Ask Him to prove it to you because I know He will. We currently don't know how Eric's schooling will be provided for but we know our Papa God who doesn't change, WILL do so! =) Thank you in advance, Papa God!