Open Doors

Lord-willing, I'll start my drive back to school around 4 tomorrow morning. Because of this, and the fact that I don't have my own personal computer, I'll hardly be updating my blog as much. My hopes are to blog once every week or two. Anyway...

As being a Christian who has seen God open so many doors, it would be impossible for me to ever believe that God does not exist. Even K-LOVE Radio has mentioned that, if you listen long enough, you'll hear story after story of how God has been faithful to answer prayers. They go on to say there are so many coincidences of exact answer to prayer that there's no way we could believe they're only coincidences. We can obviously see that God is real, He cares about our lives, and He's waiting to hear from us. Like I said, I've seen God open many doors. Some of those doors being just recently within the past five months.

I guess I should preface the rest by saying that God has called me to the mission field. This requires schooling. So in order to get to school, I needed God to open doors. Most of these doors I prayed for, although for some I did not.

About seven months ago, I was admitted to the hospital for colon surgery. This hospital stay lasted nine days, with dollars after thousands of dollars constantly accruing. By the end of my stay, I had incurred over $35,000 worth of bills (i.e. hospital, anesthesiologist, GI doctor, ER services, a CAT scan, etc.). Since I make hardly any money, this was an overwhelming giant. I decided, though, to trust God. And now my bills amount to less than a grand. First open door.

After being released from the hospital, I had a little less than a thousand dollars in my checking account. Having been so depressed from the weight of my hospital bills (which as of this time had not been paid off yet), I saw no hope for returning to school within the next year. So, like such a fool, I blew my money. But even though I didn't think I could return to school this year, my interest had not wavered. One day, as I was researching tuition/living expenses, I realized that I had been totally wrong: I could return to school this year! But since I had pretty much wasted most of my money, I knew that I'd have to get a second job to save up by the Spring semester. In this economy, two jobs are pretty difficult to come by. Nonetheless, God knew my need and provided my job at Food Lion. Second open door.

Funny thing is that at the same time He gave me my job at Food Lion, I lost my other job at Triangle Fitness. I don't know why He did this, but it was all in His plan. Thankfully though, I was receiving at FL the much needed hours I wasn't getting at TF.

As I started saving back up for school, I noticed that unless I got a raise and an additional fifteen hours a week I wouldn't have sufficient funds by January. Still I persisted, telling those I talked to that GOD would provide. Well, time was dwindling down and still there was about a $1,000 void that I'd needed filled if I wanted to attend school. On January 10th, I got a call from one my closest friends (Josh Lanier) asking if I'd be interested in a five week job. He said the job would pay about $12 an hour and I should receive about 20-25 hours a week. Without consulting anyone, I took the job. It was an exact answer to prayer. I can tell you now that thousand dollar void is no more! Third open door.

Until now, I've only been talking about the money I needed for registration. I haven't even started acquring the funds I'll need to make the monthly payment of $475. BUT GOD has already started working in an area(s) that might possibly pay my way through school.

About a month or two ago, a representative from New Tribes Bible Institute called me up just to check on me and see how things were going. In the midst of the conversation, he some how found out that I led worship in The Grove (a student ministry of UGBC). This sparked his interest, since the worship leader of his church is leaving about the same time I'll be arriving. He told me that I ought to pray about it and that it is a paid position (which would greatly help with my school bill). He then gave me contact information, if in case I took the opportunity. Knowing that this had to be God working again, I contacted the pastor and previous worship leader. All I can say right now is that the probability is strong, but I'll have to meet with the pastor before any decision is made by their church. Fourth open door.

My fifth open door came, actually, just two days ago when I was in need of about $200 for books. I had no clue that my youth group was planning this, but they dedicated the first of the service to encourage me. They didn't stop there. I was given many cards that wished me God's best, most of those containing different amounts of cash. After reading about all these exact answers to prayer, you ought to expect the outcome. I needed $200, and $200 was given!

I can only praise GOD for the things He has done. Every blessing and gracious work He has performed in the past months were totally undeserved. I must say also, in all honesty, that I did not remain faithful to God in all aspects of my life during this time. But this is one thing that makes God so incredible: even in our disloyalty, He remains faithful. Even when we deserve to endure the torturous flames of hell, He pours His love on us. In all the sin and grossness of our perversion and spiritual prostitution, He looks at us through the blood of His Son: seeing only that we are His, and having no recollection of who we were before He knew us. Our GOD IS AWESOME! He's worthy of a praise that all our efforts combined cannot express, but yet He would be satisfied. His love is great, His grace never-ending, and His mercy new every morning. Great is His faithfulness that He would open doors for us to know Him.

Nate Clonch