BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

Sowing Seed “Steve was totally broken when he told me he’d lost his job,” Cindy remembers. “Neither of us slept that night. I lay in bed and wept. I had no idea what we were going to do. We had no savings, and I was starting a new career without the safety net of a paycheck. Without Steve’s salary we could survive two months before losing our house. “When we married, neither of us really understood tithing. I thought if we wanted to reap some benefits we could tithe. It was sort of like tipping God and trying to get rich. “While I was in middle school, I heard Kenneth Copeland preach and while still in my teens, I signed up to be a Partner with KCM. I sent money a few times and then forgot about it. “Steve lost his job in October 2004. The next week we went over our finances and realized that we’d never tithed. In the nine months leading up to that day, we’d given a total of $25. We were shocked and knew we had to make some big changes. One of them was that we agreed to honor our partnership with KCM.” If Steve was going to reap, he had to start sowing. But what could he give? He looked at his cellphone. The company had paid for the service but the phone was his. 'I’ll sow my phone.' Steve gave his phone to a friend. Afterward, a woman asked him for gas money. He couldn’t help her—he was down to his last $10. In the natural, giving away any amount of money seemed ill advised. 'Trust Me,' the Lord prompted. Steve handed the woman the $10. Taking a Stand “I think the Lord wanted to assure us that we were on the right track,” Steve says. “When we got home there was a check for $100 in the mail. It never happened that way again, but we got the message. For the first time in my life I really wanted to live Matthew 6:33 and seek the kingdom of God first, trusting that everything else would be added.” Steve updated his resume and started looking for work. Nothing. He heard it all. “I’m sorry, that position has been filled.” “I’m sorry, but you’re overqualified.” With time on his hands, Steve spent hours watching the Believer’s Voice of Victory broadcast, and other Christian programming that strengthened his faith. Day after day he fed on the Word of God. Many times the family didn’t have enough money to pay bills and buy groceries, but they still sent checks to KCM—regardless! As weeks turned into months, somehow Cindy made enough to keep the family afloat. Emotionally, they found themselves in crisis. Overnight, their roles had been reversed. Suddenly, Cindy was the only breadwinner and Steve stayed at home with their sons. “I was very disappointed that Steve wasn’t taking care of us,” Cindy admits. “For the first time in our marriage I realized that Steve had always been my source. The Lord also let me know that I wasn’t my source. My career wasn’t my source. That may sound simple, but it was a radical change for me.” By the following summer, there was still no relief in sight. The boys needed clothes and school supplies, but there wasn’t enough money. They wrote a prayer of agreement, listing everything the boys needed. There was never a large influx of cash. Instead, they found 3-for-1 coupons. Someone else had a few extra supplies. By the time school started, the boys’ needs were met. Meanwhile, in addition to her private practice, Cindy was asked to help train students. While training them as therapists, she also taught them the importance of tithing from their business income. Never Alone “I got an unexpected chunk of money and asked the Lord how to use it,” Cindy remembers. “He told me to give it to one of my students. He said she had a need that she wasn’t aware of yet. “I gave her the money and soon after she discovered she was pregnant…with twins. The couple didn’t own a washer and dryer, so they used the money to buy a set.” Without a doubt there was a blessing on Cindy’s business, and it grew faster than she had imagined. But after a year out of work, Steve’s outlook wasn’t so bright. “I didn’t realize how much of my identity had been tied to my job and my role as provider for the family,” Steve admits. “I felt like such a loser, and as time passed I became depressed and suffered thoughts of suicide. 26 : BVOV : DEC '13

• Cover