Steps of Faith

I WILL MOVE IN A MIGHTY WAY

I heard the Lord speak to my heart, "I am going to move in a mighty way and need a place where people can buy Bibles and books. Get ready!" 

"Okay, Lord, but this is all I have." I held my checkbook up in the air; my balance totaled twenty-nine cents. "You will have to supply, Lord. This is all I have."  This conversation took place one day in April of 1982. With only twenty-nine cents, I said, "yes" to God and He began to move! 

GETTING STARTED: GOD OPENS A DOOR

One Sunday, after church, I came home intensely frustrated.  There was a burning desire to get started with the Lord's Plan; yet, without money, I was at a complete standstill. Laying my head on the kitchen table, I began to pour my heart out to God.

"God," I said into the quiet of the kitchen.  "I need three hundred dollars to get started; one hundred fifty dollars for cards and stationary, and an additional one hundred fifty dollars for books."  Considering how I would attain this amount of money, I sighed.  "I will not tell anyone about this need, Lord.  It will be kept between the two of us."

Two hours later the phone rang.  I picked up the receiver, "Hello?" 

I heard the voice of a good friend. "Kitty, what do you need to get started?" 

I felt myself freeze. "Ummm...ummm..."  What should I say?  God's gentle prodding strengthened me, "Go ahead, tell her."

"Well, I just asked the Lord for three hundred dollars," I stated matter-of-factly.

There was no pause.  There weren't any questions. "Make out your order, Kitty.  My daughter will drop off the check tonight," was the reply.

I stood in total shock for a moment, then moved into action.  I pulled out the catalogs and began making a card order. Three hundred dollars was a lot of money to me, but it sure didn't buy much! I quickly realized the money wasn't going to stretch further than the purchase of greeting cards and note cards.

Three hundred dollars was the extent of my faith at that time. And yet, I knew in my heart, God would continue to provide.

A REQUEST

Within eighteen months, my faith grew from three hundred dollars to four thousand dollars. During these early months, I sold merchandise out of my car and did home parties in different friend's homes.  As the merchandise and customer base grew I outgrew my car and one bedroom apartment.  This type of selling was very uncomfortable and was becoming increasingly difficult with my handicap.

"God, may I have a place where people can come to me?" I asked.  "I'm in Homer when a customer in Marathon needs something.  Besides, I dislike selling door to door. It would be better if my customers came to me... May I have a storefront?"

There was silence.

PUTTING PRAYER INTO ACTION

Putting feet to my prayers, I started knocking on doors up and down Main Street. I felt the sting of rejection, as each door slammed in my face.  I was simply "too big of a risk," or so I was told.  Years later, one of those landlords asked me why I didn't rent from her.  I had to hold my tongue.  She was one of the landlords who had told me I was too great a risk.

After many rejections, I became angry.

"God, I feel like I've got a flat nose! Forget it! Forget I even asked! I'll keep doing things the way I have been doing.  Just forget it!" 

God softly spoke, "You will have your store when you return from Mexico."

GOD PROVIDES

Upon returning from a mission's trip to Mexico, in January of 1984, I was told of a storefront owned by a Christian lady named Esther Joseph. Before going to see the store, I asked the Lord for four thousand dollars.  Considering the large amount, I told God I'd run with it if He'd supply half and would wait until He did.

Upon entering the store, a mess awaited me! The floor and ceiling was torn up; dirt and clutter were everywhere.  Yet, I knew the store was meant to be mine. However, I told Esther that because of a promise I couldn't take the store until God provided two thousand dollars.  As soon as He did, I promised to call her.

Two days after I met with Esther, a friend called to ask if I would go with her to meet a woman who wanted to help me get started. This businesswoman, who I had never met before, loaned me one thousand dollars. The next day, Saturday, I got a call from someone else offering to loan five hundred dollars. Sunday and Monday went by... and nothing.

Tuesday nothing.  "God, did I really hear from You? I know this is You, but I promised to wait for two thousand dollars...  I still need five hundred dollars."  

God gently responded, "You'll have it tomorrow."

GOD DELIVERS

Wednesday went by and faith was wavering. Did I really hear from God? Could I have misheard or misunderstood? I began preparing to go to midweek service knowing full well no one at church had that kind of money.

 The phone rang at 6:15 PM.  A friend's voice was on the other end,  "Kitty, I know a couple who will loan you five hundred dollars. All you have to do is call them."

"Do I even know them?"  I asked hesitantly.

"I don't know," she said calmly. "But they know you and have been watching you for two years."

What have I been doing for 2 years? Who has been watching? I asked myself.  Those are scary thoughts, which caused a quick inventory of my conduct!

When their name was spoken I remembered having a chair upholstered by them two years prior.   Amazingly, that same couple now wanted to make an investment in God's store. As my friend had advised, I called the couple, and they told me they'd loan me the five hundred dollars and to come pick it up the next day.

After hanging up, I immediately called Esther with the good news.  "Mrs. Joseph, I've got the two thousand dollars, and am ready to take the store!"

"I know," Esther said with feeling.  " I've already hired the carpenter. All you need to do is go down to the store and tell him what you want."

GOD'S PLAN TAKES FORM

Less than a month later, a new store opened in Cortland.  It contained a new drop ceiling and new carpet, as well as counters and handcrafted bookshelves. These updates were a three thousand dollar faith investment on Esther's part. Years later, Esther confided that she had prayed eight years for a Christian bookstore to be opened in that storefront.

God knew two thousand dollars was all I was capable of managing with the child-like business mentality I possessed back then. The remaining two thousand dollars came in, as it was needed. Having no concept of overhead costs, it was a certainty I would have sunk the whole four thousand dollars into stock, if given it all at once. God held back, knowing my needs ahead and providing as they arose.

"It's a cute little store, but she doesn't have much in it," was the most common comment I heard.  Yet, to my utter amazement, people kept coming. The store grew, and within six years, we outgrew this 550 square foot facility.  But, it took another few years to have faith for a bigger place...

My parents drove away on opening day shaking their heads asking: "How is this going to work?  She doesn't have anything, the shelves are bare."  Mom had asked where my cash box was and I proudly pulled out a shoebox and a small calculator.  She just shook her head in disbelief.   Shortly after opening God provided a small cash register.

 GOD'S CHALLENGE

About four years into this amazing adventure, a new adventure was about to unfold. Having been on SSI for twenty years, due to a birth defect (mild/severe cerebral palsy), being self-employed was starting to cause major problems. I began begging God to allow me to be taken off SSI.  I desired to be free of SSI so much, that I was willing to just tell them to keep their money!  God did not say I could do that, so I waited and humbled myself to their demeaning practices.

One evening, while washing dishes, I heard: "Kitty, I want to support you!"  

I gulped as I washed the dish. "Okay, but I just bought a car. How do I pay for it?"

 "Make double payments and then get off SSI."

God spoke this message to me on my spiritual birthday, December 4th.  By April, I had found a lawyer willing to help me get off of SSI, and in August, the car was paid for. The lawyer sent letters to the appropriate agencies and payments immediately stopped. God has been supporting me ever since. It is an amazing walk of faith.

 ANOTHER CHALLENGE

After almost ten years on South Main St., God began speaking again. He challenged me to seek a larger store in the heart of Main Street. The store He chose was huge and had a second floor.

"No, Lord, that is way TOO big!" I said.

God gently prodded, "Check it out." 

"No!" I persisted,  "It is too big; I cannot do a second floor with my handicap."  

God was unrelenting, and several weeks later, I had to obey.  "Okay, Lord.  I'll check it out."

Upon inquiry, I was told a three-year lease had been signed the day before, and the second floor was not included. I kicked myself all the way home for disobeying God. "Lord," I said sadly, " I disobeyed and I'm very sorry. Where do we go from here?"

After weeks of driving by, and seeing nothing go into the store, I went back to inquire again. The store owner, Al, said, "Kitty, I'm tired of them jerking me around! I'm going to rent to you!"

Standing in the back of this huge store, where the backroom was almost the size of my present store, I found the courage to ask about the rent.  Al relayed the rent was one thousand dollars and then asked what I could pay. Out of my mouth popped the number seven hundred.

"Okay," Al said.  "We'll start there and add a one hundred dollar increase each year for three years."  What have I done? I asked myself. To go from two hundred dollars  (and barely paying that) to seven hundred dollars! THIS HAS TO BE GOD!

 MOVING

The night before moving day, a bunch of ladies came to help me pack.  All night I heard, "Kitty, I didn't know you had this!" 

While unpacking, those same ladies were saying, "Kitty, where did you put all this stuff?"

The new store needed very little to fill it!  I really believe God multiplied what I had to fill the increased space. It was truly amazing! 

On moving day, I was so excited I couldn't sleep.  At 4 AM, I found myself at the store packing odds and ends. I fell backwards and landed in a tall box with legs and head sticking out.  "Oh, great! I packed myself!"  I was so wedged in the box, it was impossible to move. And with the door locked, who could help? Imagining the movers coming, looking in the window to see this spectacle, I laughed so hard I laughed myself out of the box.  I decided it was safer to go home and back to bed!

ANOTHER FAITH STRETCHER

After twenty years of operating the store, I realized there was a mountain in my life-and   I kept circling it!  I began asking God what He was trying to teach me.  My mountain was not having a paycheck like "normal" people.  I received my answer at a banquet in Hershey PA.

The Lord spoke loud and clear, and that mountain in my life disappeared.  He said, "You are not to expect a paycheck.  I have called you to live by faith."

Knowing God's Will caused a new level of trust to blossom within.  Months later, I experienced a unique moment with God, which confirmed His Will for my life.  Bills at home were piling up, so I asked God for a paycheck.  I went to work that day and forgot about the request.  God blessed that day, and I was thanking Him for paying off my distributor.  I was still thanking and praising upon arriving home.  However, God's response was,  "Didn't you ask for a paycheck?" 

"But Anchor needs to be paid," I replied. 

God's Presence left, and I had a choice: I could pay Anchor, or I could pay my bills and trust God to pay Anchor.  I choose to pay my bills, and when the last check was written, God's Presence returned.  On Monday, God provided enough funds to pay Anchor.  Had I not trusted, I don't think the second blessing would have come and I would not have experienced a new level of trust.

Many changes have taken place since Spirit & Life moved to its present location.  We have acquired a BurnBar system, and can burn many CD's on demand or create a custom CD.  Thousands of accompaniment tracks are now readily available when needed.

A FINAL CHALLENGE

There are as many challenges in retailing as there are in serving God, but the rewards of obedience are well worth the price. May I challenge you to take those steps of faith and let God do amazing things in your life?