Ann and I felt a call of God into full time
ministry which eventually culminated in pastoring churches in Burnaby, British
Columbia. But to do that, we also felt the need to take some full time training,
and I attended Regent College in Vancouver for over two years to achieve a
Master of Divinity degree. My wife, and life’s closest companion, Ann, provided
indispensable support and assistance.
Our plans were to finance ourselves for at least
two years by selling our home, but the house was slow selling. We needed a temporary
home in Vancouver, and found a low rental apartment in False Creek Close to kindergarten.
Our youngest daughter, Alexandra, was four years old. It wasn’t long before we
ran short of the cash we had on hand.
God provided for us in two surprising ways. One
of the instructors at the Regent College was moving out of a house he had
rented for some time and suggested we might rent it. It was close to the new
school Alexandra was ready to attend. The owners were Christians and rented it
to us for a generously low figure. Then, Ann was led to a buyer in Vancouver for
our house on the prairies, who bought it privately, sight unseen, just as our funds dried up.
The equity we obtained from the house sale
enabled us to invest in guaranteed investment certificates for two years. The
timing of that investment was remarkable. Interest rates in 1980 had climbed to
record highs, mortgage rates reaching 20% and higher. We received interest of
over 16%. Compare that to today’s 2%!
The very
next day after making that
investment, interest rates began a fast free fall to much lower levels; we had received
a peak yield from our investment. With money Ann was able to make by running
her own small secretarial business and over $600 per month return on our
investment, we had sufficient funds to see us through our time at college. God
provided for us for our entire period of financial need.
Wouldn’t we all like to forecast markets like
that? A risky business for us, but God used His foreknowledge to His advantage
and our need. And we still had our capital to invest in a home once I was
working again—this time in full-time ministry.
In common with other InScriber stories to date,
and numerous other great and small interventions in our life, we constantly
gather further proof of God’s continued grace and care throughout life. If we
can trust Him here, we can trust Him for eternity. What a blessed hope.
Bryan Norford
