By Krista Dominguez, Chicago IL

They call Chicago the Windy City, but here in the neighborhood it’s called Chi-Town. Poverty is reality here for many. Bills pile up and eviction notices are served. Graffiti memorials for slain gang members are erected on the sides of buildings. Children are afraid to cross the street to go to the park, because that means walking between gang territories. This does not only describe the other people who live here, but my own family as well.

When we’re in Bible College, we tend to have a certain image in our minds about what ministry is going to be like after graduation. It usually involves getting married, working in a church, and owning a home.

When we are studying to become ministers, rarely do we think about the physical trials we are going to face. Even if you want to be a minister in the inner city, we tend to remove ourselves from the poverty we are going to be surrounded by. We envision these large churches, but forget that 65% of churches (at least in the United States) have fewer than 100 members.

Ministering in settings such as these means that, for at least a time, you will probably experience the dilemma my mother warned me about when I was a teenager: “One day you will have to choose between a chocolate bar and toilet paper.” Money will be tight. You may get a few disconnection notices for your phone bill, or gas bill, or electric bill (or all three – in the same month). You may end up eating lots of mac and cheese.

Now that I’ve scared you all (and brought you back down to reality), I’ll get to the point.

Ministry is about God’s glory, not ours. If you think being a pastor is about anything material or to do with personal success, you’ve got something else coming. But if you are in it to bring people to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ through his gospel, no storm, no poverty, no persecution will stop you. If you pour your whole heart into Jesus Christ himself first, you will see his glory. Having seen his glory, you will be lead by his hand in the way you are to go in ministry.

So how do we survive these hard times? Let me tell you something – God has NEVER, and I mean NEVER, let us down. We have never gone hungry. We have never been without a place to live. We have never been without warm clothes to wear in the cold nights. The Lord has provided in miraculously awesome ways to our every need. Facing eviction, the rent has come on the last day. Having nothing left in the fridge we’ve bent our knee to the living God, and groceries have come knocking on the door. Words cannot express the blessing we have received from the very hand of God. This blessing comes from God because of our obedience in doing his work.

There is something about self-sufficiency that causes us to take our eye of God, foolishly thinking that it is us and not him who is providing for our households. But when we have nothing, when we get on our faces to pray for food, and get on our faces again to praise and worship God for providing that food – that, my friends, is what it is to have faith, and to be truly blessed. Praise God for his faithfulness!

Today our apartment is filled with boxes. We are moving to Yakima, Washington to minister once again at the Union Gospel Mission. Last week the Lord provided money for the truck to move our stuff (it will be a three day drive for my husband). Two nights ago he provided a plane ticket for me and the baby. The only thing we need is gas money, and the Lord will surely provide this just as he has provided everything else.

Through this lens I want you to read, and hopefully understand in a new light, this familiar passage of Scripture:

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:31-33).