As Told To: Jael Naomie
“In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be put to shame. Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape; Incline Your ear to me, and save me.”
Psalm 71:1-2
Summer (2022) was approaching, and I was already deep in debt and sinking deeper and deeper. One great thing about being a teacher is that I get off from work for the entire summer. Paid time off! However, this summer that extra pay money was gone, all used up paying debts. So this summer, I would have no choice but to work.
Usually, I would work in the New York City boroughs, either Queens, Brooklyn, or the Bronx. But now, with all the Covid-19 mandates, I would not qualify in these areas unless I adhered to mandates that I was not comfortable doing. I didn't have the peace of God's leading in this direction. Then a job offer came to teach students with special needs at a Long Island school district. A summer opportunity like this has NEVER happened before!
The teaching job was located in the last village before Queens, where all the mandates were enforced. Thankfully, because it was on Long Island, there were no mandates. This was also a very well-paying job. I did not hesitate to accept. The only drawback was that it would start in five days, and I had a lot to learn in a short amount of time. The Bible reminded me in Deuteronomy 31:8 that "…the Lord, He is the One who goes before [me]. He will be with [me], He will not leave [me] nor forsake [me]; do not fear nor be dismayed."
I accepted the job. What a blessing it was! I was supposed to have six students, but only three showed up consistently. The one student who had tantrums every now and again didn't come during the last week of school because he was going to attend a camp for students with special needs. For six weeks, I worked for three and a half hours a day, but the school paid me for four hours because that's how the summer program was set up! I made enough money for the entire summer to keep up with all my bills and debts. God is indeed good. He provided for all my needs!
Call to Action
David said it best in Psalm 37:25, "I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread." What a mighty God we serve! Trust Him with your needs, your finances, and your future. He is sure to provide, even if it’s in unexpected and unknown ways.
All scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
