Below are four testimonials from different families who participate in the GKC Trade Market. If you haven’t heard of the GKC Trade Market, you may want to read THIS POST.
I wanted to drop a quick note and let you know how much Grace Klein Community food traders has stretched our faith and allowed us to trust God more. For the last three weeks, we’ve been giving away half of our grocery budget, only spending half of what we typically would, and then just trusting God to feed us. And we haven’t gone hungry! I haven’t been fearful about our next meal, because I knew God was advancing His kingdom and our faith in this simple stretching. We have actually eaten even better quality foods and nicer stuff than we would have ordinarily bought for ourselves. Additionally, we have been so blessed with plenty that we’ve had other families over three times to share a meal together and even been able to be generous in sharing some food with our new pastor and others. We’ve been eating well and spending less because of the food trades.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to be more generous and to trust the Lord more deeply. If others hadn’t been modeling this kind of trust in the Lord, I would have been too afraid to try it. Grace Klein Community is making me a better disciple! My husband, the kids and I have had so much fun growing this way and truly been even more grateful for God’s provisions. We find ourselves praising Him more. It is our hope and intention to incrementally continue to increase the percentage of giving and keep on stretching and trusting. Maybe someday we can invert the tithe and give 90% while living on 10%. That’s our goal.
This ministry is not only changing the way we eat and allowing us to give more, but also helping us learn to trust God in everything and praise Him. I can’t thank Grace Klein Community enough for showing us how.
We won’t be able to come this Sunday afternoon because we are having the new pastor over for lunch immediately after church is over, but we’ll be back soon.
Don’t you love running in to people you know at the grocery store? It is always a great time to catch up with what’s going on in life. As a child, growing up in a relatively small town, this happened frequently and I used to roll my eyes at my mother because it seemed like she knew everyone and yes, we were going to stop to chat with them in the grocery store. Now that I’ve lived in Birmingham for over 8 years, and the fact that I’m an adult, I actually look forward to having this experience.
This happens every Sunday when I have the pleasure of “shopping” at the Grace Klein Community market. Families pour into the office early Sunday afternoon and browse the “aisles” to see what has been provided and begin to collect what they need for the week. Some folks bring in pantry items they are no longer using or need, ready to pass on and share with someone else.
It’s not only a neighborhood market, but a community market. You might overhear people discussing recipe ideas, prayer requests, sharing adoption stories, or other God stories of how they blessed a sick friend with a meal that week from ingredients that they gathered from the market.
God has made this opportunity available through His rich provision in what is quickly becoming many different resources. A while back God showed DJ an open door for food rescue/redistribution through a local market. Food that would normally be thrown directly into the trash, for various reasons, is now able to feed tens of families on a weekly basis. Milk, bread, eggs, meat, veggies, and a variety of other fresh items are typically available, many of which are organic. That was just the beginning and a springboard that has recently been greatly multiplied by the Lord through a produce outlet where even greater amounts of food are being rescued almost daily. It is amazing to see God’s bountiful provision in this way. He is so true to His Word, Phil 4:19.
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19
Living in faith, take just what you need or will use for that week, redistribute your grocery budget for kingdom work, BYOB (bring your own bags), think of someone to bless, and I’ll see you next week at the market so we can catch up!
The flowers are pretty. I usually put them on the fire place whenever I have flowers, but I moved them to sit right in front of me and I am just staring at how perfect they are. It reminds me of the verse about the lilies. (Matthew 6:25-34) He clothed them so beautiful. He provides so beautifully.
Who would have thought he would provide me with flowers. A single mom who feels so rejected, but Jesus gave me flowers. He is a beautiful provider who is into every detail. Just thought I’d share how the free left over flowers made me feel taken care of. Jesus is faithful.
When I retired from the United States Air Force, I moved to Florida with my two small children, married my second husband, and started the second chapter of my new life. The man I thought I was marrying was loving, kind, supportive, went to church, someone I believed would be a wonderful man to share my life with. Wrong answer.
On my wedding night the yelling and insults began, not too harsh, but enough to leave me confused and unsettled. As the years passed, the episodes grew greater in number and more explosive and hurtful. The worst part was the unpredictability and malice. If I overstepped my boundaries, there would always be no-notice repercussions. Nothing I had was sacred. He’d check my phone, go through all my possessions, follow me, etc. When he was in a foul mood he’d burn or throw away my clothes, my photos, my artwork, nothing was off limits. The worst part was him always telling me it was simply my imagination or something I deserved. Sometimes he’d drop me off at church and leave me to find my own way home, and more than once he’d drive at 90-100 mph on I-95 simply to frighten me.
And yes, it progressed to the point where I feared for my life. He pulled a gun on me three times, the last time chambering five shells, and I was afraid for not just my own life, but also my children. These were volatile times now, but I lived in such a state of fear and destroyed sense of being I almost didn’t know how to function. Through all this, I learned protection meant being silent, internalizing everything, no speaking unless necessary, keeping everything inside.
When I reached out to my church for help, they didn’t believe me. My husband’s outward appearance was the epitome of a great christian husband and devoted step-dad. He volunteered for just about everything, on the church softball team, etc etc. It wasn’t until several years later when one of his family members came with me that they finally believed me, and so began the learning and strengthening process.
The one thing that kept me sane was my faith. Through all this, God kept his promises. He held my wounded and broken heart every moment, he collected my tears each day and night. He renewed me each morning. I remember feeling absolutely helpless to defend myself from my husband, yet somehow, in ways I can’t begin to comprehend, Christ gave me a deep sense of inner wisdom and peace, He helped me seek Him daily. He whispered soothing verses to my heart, He gave me messages (on the radio) exactly for each moment I was going through. I read, I prayed, I grew.
Fast forward to today. My brother had been trying to get my daughter and me to move from Florida to Alabama for several years. He knew we were struggling (Florida is definitely not cheap), I lived in constant fear of my ex, and we both wanted our families closer. That said, two years ago we packed, moved to Westover, and started over.
My brother and his family have so much love. He opened his home and began opening our hearts…my heart.
Seeing our need, he made sure we had a good place to live. and he began bringing food and letting us get clothing and household items from Grace Klein Community, never once making us feel awkward about needing assistance. He constantly reminded us it was about giving and giving back. As a Christian, I’m familiar with this, but now being in this position, it was difficult admitting I needed help. It was even more difficult relearning how to love, and let love in.
Several months ago, he invited me to Grace Klein Community to pick up some food. I decided to get a little extra for a co-worker, since her family was struggling too. Having three growing boys, they eat a lot, so I brought her a bit more. Several weeks later, she said she was also sharing with her parents, hoping I didn’t mind. Additionally, her father was sharing with two elderly women, one of which was sharing with her son, who had recently undergone some life-changing events. Come to find out, her son happens to be a pastor. Wow!
The next few weeks I brought more food from Grace Klein Community to share with the growing families. Now my co-worker wanted to help me help others. She told me of another co-worker in desperate times, as her husband was now unable to work due to health complications. We brought extra food for her, not telling her where or who it came from. Needless to say, she was overwhelmed. There is yet another family Grace Klein Community has graciously helped me to provide with food.
The move and this sharing has been pivotal for me. No longer constantly looking over my shoulders, I’m learning to love again, learning to let love in.
I can’t say thank you enough Grace Klein Community and all those in your community outreach. What started from Grace Klein Community helping me help one family has exponentially grown to nine families (so far). It’s an absolute joy witnessing the grateful expressions on each family’s face, and watching them selflessly share with others. It’s evolved into a ministry far beyond any expectations. Thank you Grace Klein Community, and all your people who have faithfully encouraged us, and thank you God, for blessing Grace Klein Community.