Dear Anonymous Donor,
Thank you.
When I saw your donation come through, I was sitting in a folding chair in my living room. A friend was reading Matthew 4 out loud. For a moment, we glanced back at Matthew 3, when Jesus himself was baptized and acknowledged by God, his Father.
It’s humbling to know that God reached out to Jesus, publicly affirmed him as his son, and declared himself to be “well pleased” all before Jesus had lifted a finger. Of course, by that time Jesus had spent his first 30 years of his human existence becoming a man (and all that entails). But we read this affirmation in chapter 4, of all places. Before he faced the temptation in the desert and before his ministry officially began. Before he fed the thousands, before he healed the sick, and before he died.
It’s funny, I brought up the topic of fundraising during my interview, before I had even been offered the job. I was hesitant at first to bring it up, and nervous that my hesitation would somehow disqualify me for the job altogether. We discussed it at length and, eventually, I relented. Not because I had changed my mind and not because I felt confident that the money would come.
But because I believed with all my heart that I’d been led to this position and, therefore, this task of fundraising by the Spirit of God himself.
Following him means nothing less than that he went before me.
Jesus faced temptation before me. He began his ministry of reconciliation before me. He fed the thousands and healed the sick himself, before me. He died to himself before asking me to do the same.
On Monday my supervisors had a meeting to assess my fundraising progress. I was hundreds short of the deadline and their extension of grace was a true reflection of the heart of Christ.
Then, this morning, ELEVEN donations totaling more than ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS cleared my support account and brought me just shy of the deadline I had missed. Those donations take days to clear, which means every single one of them had been sent in before the meeting was held, before the grace was extended, and before the deadline had passed.
Anonymous donor, your donation is a timely reminder: he does not lead us to where he has not gone himself. He may have brought me here before providing the money to stay, but if faith is the assurance of things hoped for* I’ll start the celebration right now.
Thank you will forever and always be an understatement.
*Hebrews 11:1
Together, we’ve raised a total of $4,589 since October! Anonymous donors, friends, family, and strangers have all come together to achieve this milestone- and I am overwhelmed with gratitude toward each of you, and above all toward God!
I’m still looking for 13 people to commit $25 per month! Would you like to join us?
