"Is anyone listening?"

(This is something that I posted on a discussion board and believe that I needed to add this here as well.)

If anyone has watched the news the last couple of days it is hard to miss one of the most impactful topics covered nationwide, a video a California high school class recorded about how the economy has impacted their lives entitled: Is anyone listening? Each and every time I see a news broadcast on these high schoolers I never fail to tear up because what they are going through now, I lived through nearly 20 years ago. Following is my story and how God brought my family through. Even though the President says that he is listening, NO ONE listens like our God listens!!!!
I don't remember how it all started or even why, but by the time I was in the fourth grade I knew one thing about my family--we definitely did not have enough money to live in a two bedroom apartment for a family of five. Since I was a child, I thought everything was normal. I thought my parents refusal of things that we asked for was the typical parental denial. The first day that I realized that something was wrong was not with the trips that we made to the food bank or the fact that we had to eat things that we did not like (just because it was the only food given to us). No, the first day that I found out that something was financially wrong with my family was the night when my mother sat me down at the dinner table with my two younger sisters and put our plates in front of us. As I complained and cried about how I HATED brussel sprouts my mother and father left the room. It was the first and only time that I ever remember that my parents did not eat a meal with us. I knew that something was wrong but I was too young to understand what was going on.It was not until years later that I began to learn little bits of information here and there about that period in time of my life. My dad was in school and working. My mother held down multiple jobs. All of this was to scrape together what we needed to live. Even though my parents went to the government for help they said that my parents made to much money for government paid housing. We could not put enough food on the table and yet my parents made to much money! I do not even know other aide my parents were turned down from. Nor do I know just how bad off we were. I am inclined to think that we were probably close to be homeless ourselves. But what I know is that the government never helped my family. (And despite the promises that our President is making in front of the cameras, I seriously doubt that the government will help any of the families today.)BUT HERE IS THE GOOD NEWS!From that moment in the early years of my life, I became aware of how much God looked after me and my family. We were definitely poor for many years. So much so that when I first heard of tithing (I grew up going to church ever since I was a baby) and the promises that God made in His Word pertaining to tithing I knew that I had nothing to lose. Things could really not get much worse for me or what I knew of my family life. I WAS DESPERATE! So I chose to tithe on my allowance (a couple of dollars a week for doing work around the house). I was the first person in my family to regularly tithe. Not long after I began tithing, I noticed that my mother began to faithfully tithe. I do not know how long it took God to begin to change things, but I KNOW that from that first day that I tithed and my parents tithed that our family life totally changed.Over the years my family has seen financial blessing that supersede anything that we had in the past. I have never been without work. Sure there have been times where I've sweated it and fought with my flesh about whether or not I could "afford" to tithe for one week. The times where I overcame my flesh God came through immediately. The times where I withheld my tithe, I felt the pinch for a short season. I never chose to skip two tithes because I KNOW how God works through my giving. And God has never failed me financially.MORE GOOD NEWS!Over a year ago I injured myself at work. In April I will be off work, because of the injury, for a year. I struggled like no other period in my life because of what seemed like an injustice (so much so that early on I was seriously angry at the situation), but God has still never left me financially. He continues to provide for me just as He has for nearly two decades. Even though I have mixed feelings about the pain that I continue to go through, my greatest blessing is that I have never had to serious feel the economic pinch. I have not had to drive to work each day wondering if it was my last. I do not believe that God orchestrated my injury to take care of my finances, but He has used the event to take care of me in a season where our nation is struggling.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE FEELING THE ECONOMIC PINCH, whether you have told anyone or not, I plead with you to trust God in this matter!!!What ever little that you receive right now, trust God, put God to the test! GOD WILL NEVER FAIL YOU! In fact I can say with all assurity that God is more in the financial business than ever before. For the first time in my life I have been able to give more than just my tithe to God regularly and faithfully. And the best part is that the digits that represent the amount of money that you give in tithe (and offering--anything beyond the tithe) does not matter one bit to God! Remember the widow who gave two minas and Jesus praised her for given more than the wealthy men! Don't neglect your tithe and I promise that God will bring you through this economic season like you will never imagine!
God Bless!