信心献上 反败为胜
我和丈夫一起创业，开办了视频制作和视频培训公司已经有10年了。因为生意一直起起落落，所以我们开始把储蓄用在生意上，渐渐的储蓄要也要‘见底’了。所以每当到了月底，要发薪水给员工的时候，加上自己家庭的生活费用，似乎都没有着落，我的心情就会极度焦虑。每个月都是重复着如此担忧的心情。
2018年教会就有信心认献。其实当时我们的银行户口，也没有太多的存款，但是我们就凭信心在认献卡上填了10千块。可是因为我们的生意一直没有太大的进展，经济状况还是处在不稳定的状况，所以我们的信心认献就迟迟的无法兑现。
到了认献的截止日期很接近时，我就问丈夫说怎么办？如果要奉献，银行的存款就要用尽了，如果不奉献，又觉得对神的承诺没有实现。所以我们在这件事上纠结了很久。
有一晚我就做了一个梦，梦见我开了一张15千的支票。睡醒后这个梦还一直清晰的萦绕在心中，我就怀疑是否日有所思夜有所梦，或是圣灵在向我说话。最后我就向丈夫说了这个梦，我俩讨论之后就觉得是否神在考验我们的信心。
最后我们就决定，把所有银行户口的总数，扣掉三个月的基本开销，看看还剩下多少钱。结果真是让我们惊讶，所剩的存额刚好是15千，不多一块也不少一块。我们就看到神的真实，也把15千完全的献上。
当我们奉献之后的两个月，生意依然没有起色，所以我们就决定，既然这10年做的这么辛苦，如果是神的心意，下个月还是没有进展，就把生意结束。
结果万万没有想到，在接下来的一个月，因为遇到疫情带来的阻断措施，所有人都要留在家里，就有好一些人和公司来参与我们的培训课程，或需要制作视频。以前我们想尽办法找生意都找不到，但是现在是生意是通过不同的管道来找我们。现在每一次的培训班，至少都有10多个学员。我们知道这一切都是神的恩典! 我更感谢神，因为过去我的丈夫忙着生意，很少时间陪我和孩子，但是因为阻断措施，他每天都在家里工作，生意不但‘没减反增'，更让我得以时时刻刻的见到他。
感谢神，让我们的生意和生命，经历反败为胜的神迹！
从我这次的经历，我学到了两个很宝贵的功课，借此和大家分享：
1.当圣灵对我们说话时，祂的声音其实是很清晰的。可是, 选择在于自己是否要凭信心的顺服或是质疑这把声音, 选择逃避。信心的道路，不是靠自己的盘算。就因为我和天颂选择了顺服圣灵的感动而摆上，没想到就正当很多公司都被疫情大受影响的时候，神却在这短短几个月内, 以我们所摆上的奉献多过十五倍的补偿给我们。这是我和天颂万万没想到的。非常感激神的恩典。
2.人们往往都很顽固，需要尝尽苦头才懂的依靠神。我和天颂从前工作做足七天，不但看不到成绩而且还倍上了与家人的联系。直到我们实在没有办法到了尽头愿意放手依靠神时，神就开始乐于的介入。我们现在虽然还是忙，不过忙得开心还有足够的时间给神，做事工，陪孩子和探访父母。
未来的路虽然还是一条信心之旅，但是我已经在这次的事件中体会到神的恩手在带领。不是依靠自己的聪明和才能，而是谦卑的祷告，依靠圣灵的带领。一切荣耀归于主，哈利路亚。
Giving by faith, turning defeat into victory
Stephanie Tan
My husband and I started a media production and training company about 10 years ago. Throughout these years, our business has not been stabilized and gradually we have used up almost all our savings in the business. Whenever it comes to the end of the month, my mood will be greatly affected because it was the time when I need to settle company bills and pay salary to our employees. At times when I don’t have enough for my family, I would be extremely anxious and feeling low. This anxiety feeling repeated itself every month.
During church 2019 yearly pledge, my husband and I made a $10,000 pledge. We did this purely by faith as at that time we do not have much in our bank account. After the pledge, our business still did not make much progression and financially we were unstable. Even by year end, we were unable to fulfill our pledge. I asked my husband what we should do. If we were to give, it would deplete our bank account. If we do not give, I felt I have broken my promise to God. Both of us were in a dilemma and we did not know what to do.
One night I had a dream. In the dream I was preparing a cheque of $15,000 for the pledge. After I woke up, this dream lingered clearly in my mind. I wondered was it because I have been thinking about it too much hence, I had that dream or was the Holy Spirit prompting me. I told my husband about the dream, and after discussion, we felt it could be a test of our faith by God.
Eventually we decided to set aside three months of basic expenses from the total amount we had in all our bank accounts then see how much money was left. The result was astonishing, the remaining balance was exactly $15,000. We saw the reality of God and we surrendered the amount completely.
Two months after our offering, there was still no sign of improvement in our business. My husband and I decided that even though we had worked so hard for the past 10 years, if it is the will of God and there is still no progress in our business, we were prepared to close it in the following month.
The result iss something we have never imagined, in the following month due to the circuit breaker resulted from the Covid-19 pandemic, everyone stayed at home. Individuals and companies were using the time to attend trainings and produce videos. In the past, we tried every means to find business and failed. But now, businesses came to us through different channels. Our training class size used to be small, but now the average class size is 10. We knew all these were the grace of God! Furthermore, in the past my husband was so busy with work and had little time to accompany me and our children but because of the circuit breaker measures, he works at home every day. Our business did not reduce but increased and I got to see him all the time.
Thank God so much, for allowing us to experience in our business and family life, the miracle of turning defeat into victory.
Based on this experience, I would like to share with you two valuable lessons that I have learned:
1. When the Holy Spirit speaks to us, the message is clear. However, its our choice whether to obey by faith or to question the message and choose to ignore it. The path of faith is not based on something we can calculate. It was because Roland and I chose to obey the touch of the Holy Spirit, unexpectedly, at a time when many companies were greatly affected by the epidemic, God, in this short period of time, gave us more than fifteen times of what we have offered. This was something Roland and I never expected. Thank you very much for the grace of God.
2. People are often stubborn and will only rely on God after been through many hardships. Roland and I used to work every day including weekends. Not only did we fail to see the results, we have also sacrificed the relationship with our family. It is only until we really have no other way but to depend on God, then God is willing to intervene. Although now we are still busy, we are happy and have enough time for God, do ministry work, spend time with children and visit parents.
Despite my path ahead is still a journey of faith, I have started to experience God's leading through this incident. One shouldn’t depend solely on own intelligence and talents, but to pray humbly and rely on the Holy Spirit. All glory to God, Hallelujah.