God's Provision--Always in Perfect Timing

From the Archives: Winter of 2011

Written by Fran Steelman

My father moved us to Pennsylvia when I was in pre-K, and I grew up in PA. We never went to church as a family. My mother was saved, and, while my father was a good man, he was not saved until he was 84 years old. Because Mom didn’t drive, she and us kids went to church on church vans. Dad would take us to church sometimes but would sit in the car. At 15, I was saved. I was excited when I was first saved, but, in the years following my salvation, I was in and out of church. Our aunts and uncles lived here and we would visit for a few days every couple of years. I always wanted to live in North Carolina, so after I graduated from high school, I moved down here. It was the 60s, and I couldn’t get a job. Because I came from up North, everyone thought I was going to start a union. I just wanted a job. Finally, Shadowline sewing factory in Boone hired me. Four girls and I shared an apartment and expenses. We had a lot of fun.

Miracle Provisions

I met my first husband in Ashe County. We had two girls. We were married 32 years, but he died at 49 years old. That left me with my youngest girl still at home. I was told that I couldn’t keep my home due to an insurance issue. The bank told me I’d lose my home. A lawyer didn’t even meet with me; he said there was nothing that could be done. During that time, I talked to the state insurance commissioner about the situation. It was becoming difficult at that time to make the house payment and pay the bills. But I managed to pay the mortgage payment for a year. Even though many told me I didn’t have a chance to keep my home during that hard year, many others kept praying that I would. To show you how big our God is, one day when I had been pretty down, I went to the post office. There was a bulky letter for me. I couldn’t imagine what was in it. It contained a clear title to my home, my land, and a check for the year I’d paid on my home from the insurance company.

New Job, New Love, New Life

In 2001, I was working at Jefferson Apparel when it shut down. Since I’d lost my job, the NAFTA program allowed me to go to school at Wilkes Community College. I graduated with a degree in office systems technology. At 52 years old, I’d never sat down at a computer. I had to work twice as hard as the younger students but I made the Dean’s list and the President’s list. I received my degree in 2003. I graduated with a degree in office systems technology. But I didn’t have a job. A friend’s cousin was the assistant director at Ebenezer Children’s Home in Wilkesboro, and there was an opening for a house parent. The job didn’t fit my degree, and I didn’t want to work with children all the time but I went to the interview anyway. I got the job of a house parent with seven days on/seven days off schedule and after seven years I can’t see working anywhere else. I’d been a widow for five years and decided to try it. At first I was scared; I didn’t think I could do the job. The director told me later that she had a “feeling the LORD was telling her I could do the job”. There was a man working there who was a pastor at a church in Wilkesboro as well as serving as a house parent. His wife of 42 years had died with cancer. Whoever was on shift would take the kids to his church to hear his sermons. I became a house parent mother to five children. The other house parent was named Fred, the man who pastored the church. As house parents, we would have devotions with the children before bed. We would go over all that happened during that day with the kids. We would pray with them and pray with each other after they went to bed. When the director then told me we would be working together as house parents, she also told me that we weren’t allowed to date. I told her I wasn’t looking for a husband, but the Lord had different plans.

Fred and I met in September 2003 and were married in December 2003. We have no doubt the Lord put us together. After you know God is in it, how can it go wrong? If God is not in it, it’s all in vain – it’s not going to profit you or anyone else. We were the only house parents who got married in the chapel on the grounds. All the kids came to the wedding.

Faithful God Provides for His Children

There are four houses on the premises. All have been built with donations. They are named Genesis, Faith, Charity, and Hope. God supplies whatever is needed, whether it’s food or whatever – God just supplies. Even the toilet paper is supplied! In spite of this difficult economy, even though much funding has dried up, God is still meeting the needs. Not all the wants but all the needs. It’s called faith. When you’re going through your life, you don’t think God is leading. But when you get to your 60s, you can look back and see how he has led here and there. Nothing can touch you that has not gone through God first. And nothing God has touched can be but for your good. When you’re in the bad situation, the storm, and you don’t know God’s will you have to say, “Okay, God, it’s yours.” Through all my trouble and trials I’ve learned they have made me stronger in my faith. I can look back and I can’t honestly say “why me?” because “why not me?” Because you are Christian, you are not immune to trouble. But you have someone to bear and share I with. I can’t imagine life without knowing a personal Savior. When you’re not saved, you don’t have that feeling inside to know you are His child. Trouble may be all around you, but you know you are one of His.