Do you ever try to look at the big picture to understand just where God might be taking you? Yes, we all want to see the “handwriting on the wall.” The problem with that is we would dig our heels into the dirt with a stubborn attitude and ask God to give us a different way!

In 1987, a large house in downtown Clinton was donated to a non-profit organization of which I was co-founder, for the purpose of salvaging the lumber. The donor wanted the house torn down and the lot cleared. This turned out to be a very time-consuming project. This large, two-story house was 100 years old and had been a boarding house. Piece by piece, board by board and nail by nail, the house was dismantled and carted to the organization’s campground which was just beginning development. I am very grateful for people like Mr. and Mrs. John Hinkson and Mr. and Mrs. Loy Moody for all of their efforts in helping us get this super-sized job done.

On Thanksgiving weekend, volunteers like John Bradley, Steve Hinkson’s family, and our family, along with several others, began the slow process of building a 2-bedroom house using those salvaged materials. The ladies kept busy pulling nails, stacking the lumber and providing meals. The men began to frame out the house on rock and concrete piers that my son, Kelly and his dad had stacked up the day before.

Several weeks later, we moved out of the tent into the roughed-in house. It was a toss-up as to which was worse, the tent or the house. However, with much effort, the house soon took shape and became more and more livable.

One day as I was sitting down to begin some quiet time with the Lord, my heart was very heavy. A land payment was past due and a small handwritten note left on the window of our vehicle from the landlord had reminded us that he could reclaim the land if the payment had defaulted as much as 30 days. Saving enough from part-time paychecks for the payment was becoming harder and harder. Donations were beginning to come in for the organization, but not enough to make the land payment. Personal items of any value had already been sold to acquire needed equipment or make expenses. Personal money from part-time jobs was going for gas and food. There just did not seem to be a way to pay this debt. Yet, too much had been accomplished to let the land go back. Had the Lord’s direction been misunderstood? I didn’t really think so at this point. Then my eyes focused on my wedding ring. I wondered if there was any way it could be valuable enough to help out.

To my surprise, a jeweler appraised the diamond alone for $1,000. I thought if it could be sold and we could make two payments it would be worth it. I did talk it over with the family but they didn’t really like the idea. I also shared the idea with a volunteer, Mrs. Brown. She called me a few days later with an interest in buying the diamond. I found out that the appraised value for insurance purposes and actually selling it were two different values. So, when the two of us went to another jeweler, his price turned out to be less than half the appraised value. The jeweler suggested that a zircon could be put in my wedding ring for about $20.00 and that way the rings could still be worn

Originally, those rings had been purchased by one of Willis’ brothers for his fiancée. The wedding didn’t take place and he was stuck with the set of rings. Months later, when Willis proposed to me (Halloween, can you believe!) he remembered these rings. He and his brother worked out a deal. That is how we came to have such an expensive set. By today’s standards, it’s not very much but in 1966 it was.

Armed with this information and believing it was God’s will, I approached the family once again. Willis’ comment was, “Well, how do we know but what the Lord gave these rings to us 20 years ago for just such an occasion?”

Why are we surprised when God provides? He not only provided a house to salvage, volunteers to tear it down, and volunteers to help build the camp cabin, but also provided the diamond for a payment. I agree with Abraham. This place should be called Jehovah-Jireh.

“And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-Jireh. As it is said to this day, in the mount of Jehovah it shall be provided.” Genesis 22:14