Steps of Faith
“I am going to move in a mighty way. I need a place where people can go and buy Bibles and books. Get ready!”
“OK Lord, but this is all I have (holding up a checkbook). You will have to supply, because 29 cents is all I have!”
This conversation took place in April 1982. With only 29 cents I said yes to God and He began to move!
One Sunday, after church, I came home frustrated because of a burning desire to get started, but without money I was at a complete standstill. Laying my head on the kitchen table there was a one-sided conversation. Listen in:
“God, you told me to do this BUT I need $300 dollars to get started! $150 for cards & stationary and $150 for books. Only you will know what I prayed because I WILL NOT tell anyone.”
Two hours later the phone rings:
“Kitty, what do you need to get started?”
“Um….um….um (quick prayer “What should I say?”)
God said: “Go ahead tell her.”
“Well, I just asked the Lord for $300.”
“Make out your orders, my daughter will drop off the check tonight.”
I stood in total shock, then got out the catalogs and began making a card order. To me three hundred dollars was a lot of money but it sure didn’t buy much. I quickly realized I wasn’t going to buy much more than cards and note cards. Three hundred was the extent of my faith at that time. Within 18 months that faith would grow to $4,000. During those months I sold out of the car and did home parties. It was getting too hard to sell that way plus I outgrew my car and home.
“God, can I have a place where people can come to me? I’m in Homer when someone in Marathon (other side of the county) needs something. Besides I hate selling this way. It would be better if they came to me. Can I have a store front?”
There was dead silence so putting feet to my prayers I started knocking on doors up and down Main Street. All doors slammed in my face.
“God, I feel like I’ve got a flat nose! Forget it! Forget I even asked! I’ll keep doing it the way I have been. Just forget it!!” God spoke:
“You’ll have your store when you get back from Mexico.”
Upon returning from a mission’s trip to Mexico, in January of 1984, I was told of a storefront owned by a Christian lady.
"Lord, I need $4,000 but will run with this if you give me half.”
Upon entering the store I witnessed a complete and utter mess! Floors and ceilings torn up, dirt and clutter everywhere, yet I knew it was mine. I told the landlady (Esther) I couldn’t take it until God provided $2,000 and as soon as He did I’d call her. Two days later a friend called to ask if I would go with her to meet a woman who wanted to help me get started. This business woman, I had never met before, loaned me $1,000. The next day (Saturday) I got a call from someone else offering $500. Sunday and Monday went by and nothing! Tuesday:
“God, did I really hear from you? I know this is you but I promised to wait for $2,000. I still need $500.”
“You’ll have it tomorrow.”
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. At 6:15 the phone rang:
“Kitty, I know someone who will loan you $500. All you have to do is call them.”
“Do I even know them?”
“I don’t know, but they know you and have been watching you for 2 years.”
What have I been doing for 2 years? Who has been watching? Those are scary thoughts, which caused a quick inventory of one’s conduct! Two years prior I had a chair reupholstered by an older couple that now wanted to make an investment in God’s store. I called and they told me they’d loan $500. After hanging up I immediately called Esther. Listen in again:
“Mrs. Joseph, I’ve got the $2,000 I’m ready to take the store!”
“I know I’ve already hired the carpenter. All you need to do is go down to the store and tell him what you want.”
Less than a month later a new store opened in Cortland with new ceiling, carpet, counters and handcrafted bookshelves. This was a $3,000 faith investment on Esther’s part. Years later Esther told me she had prayed 8 years for a Christian bookstore to go into that spot. God knew $2,000 was all I was capable of managing with the child-like business mentality I possessed. The remaining $2,000 came in, as it was needed. Having NO concept of overhead costs it was a certainty I’d sink the whole $4,000 into stock if given it all at once. God held back knowing the needs ahead and provided as they arose.
“It’s a cute little store but she doesn’t have much in it” was the most common comment, yet to my utter amazement people kept coming. The store grew and within 6 years we outgrew this 550 square foot facility. About 4 years into this amazing adventure a new one was about to unfold. Having been on SSI for 20 some 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 off this program. I desired it so much 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……
“Kitty, I want to support you!” Gulp. Gulp.
“Ok, but I just bought a car. How do I pay for it?”
“Make double payments and then get off SSI.”
God spoke this on my spiritual birthday on Dec. 4th. In April I found a lawyer willing to help me get off of SSI and in August the car was paid for. The lawyer sent her letters and September payments stopped. God has been supporting me ever since. It is an amazing walk of faith. There are many stories that could be told of His love and care but we’ll leave those for another time and place After ten years, in business, God began speaking again. He challenged me to seek a bigger 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!”
“Check it out.”
“No! It is too big, I can not do a second floor.” Weeks later:
“Ok Lord, I’ll check it out.”
Upon inquiry I was told a 3-year lease had been signed the day before and the second floor was not included. I kicked myself ALL the way home for not obeying Him.
“Lord, 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 ask again. Al (the owner) 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 asked about the rent. Al said $1,000 and then asked what I could pay. Out of my mouth popped “$700”.
“Ok, with a $100 increase each year for 3 years.” What have I done? To go from $200 (and barely paying that) to $700! This HAS to be God! The night before moving day a bunch of ladies came to pack and all night you could hear
“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 was fairly well filled and very little was needed to be bought to fill the increased space. It was truly amazing! Just a little humor. On moving day I was so excited I couldn’t sleep so at 4 a.m. 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. 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 and decided it was safer to go home and go back to bed! It is now almost twelve years later and this year major changes were made with the help of customers. Customers chipped in and bought racks and an expanded music section. A design firm was consulted and recommendations were carried out making the store more attractive. We are not quite finished but are continuing to make improvements as funds become available.
There are 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?
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