God provides. Always.

It's really easy to think the worst of people nowadays. It seems like everyone is out for themselves, and we see so much violence and hatred and sheer brokenness in the news that we can be overwhelmed with the picture that people are just screwed up. At least, I know I do.

I needed $3602 to pay for this last semester. Last semester, we got every dollar we could out of Mom's bank, so options this time seemed even bleaker than before. I've been working really hard at learning how not to freak out in situations like this, so on Friday, I did the only thing I could think to do and sent texts to several people asking them to pray that we could find the money I needed.

One of those people is Mom's best friend, Rachel. She asked me a couple questions and said she'd be thinking and praying. That was all I was expecting.

Well, today, Matt was over visiting for a little while and I heard my phone ring. I figured it was nothing, so I blew it off. Then I heard a text message. Matt left not long after that, so I went and checked my phone to see who had called. There was a voicemail from a number I didn't recognize and a text from Rachel telling me to check my voicemail.

The voicemail was from her dad. My heart immediately started racing because I knew that if this man, someone I'd never met, was calling me, it had to be important. I immediately called him back. He told me that Rachel had told him about my situation of needing money for school, and about some of the things that I've had to fight through to get to where I am now. He explained that he is the pastor of a very small church, so small that he hasn't taken a salary in more than 30 years and they don't have a lot of expenses. Because of this, they have a fund built up that they usually use to support missionaries overseas. However, once Rachel told him about me, he felt compelled to talk to his congregation today.

Every single person there agreed that they couldn't think of a better way to spend part of their fund than to loan me the money for this last semester.

Strangers. Giving me a $3602 loan. At no interest. AND I don't even have to worry about paying it back until I am settled with an established job and have the resources to afford to pay them back.

Who does that?! I spent the next hour walking around Mommom's house just randomly exclaiming "I'm just so happy!"

People can be so mindblowingly awesome. And God is an awesome provider. Always.