Do You Live Paycheck to Paycheck?

About three years ago, Andrew Shcherbina of Seattle, WA, decided to go into business installing and repairing hardwood and laminate floors. There was one problem. “Well, in the beginning of our business, it was very slow,” he explains. “Most of the jobs I was getting were the repairs of hardwood, and they were really low pay. It was like that for six months.” That made things tough for the newlywed couple. Yelena recalls, “We used to live paycheck to paycheck when we first started the business. I literally was counting, ‘OK, we’ve got this much money.’ We were paying our bills, and we were really counting dollars.” Andrew had grown up in a Christian home in his native Ukraine. But after he married and money got tight, tithing and giving were not a priority. “It wasn’t something that I was doing,” says Andrew. “It was something I wanted to do, but I always thought if God would give me more money, I would do it.” Six months later, with the budget still tight, Yelena came across The 700 Club. “Never heard of The 700 Club before, never heard of CBN before. Then the next day I told Andrew,” she says. “He’s like, ‘I know. I used to watch The 700 Club in Ukraine.’” Andrew and Yelena continued to watch and soon joined The 700 Club. Yelena says, “We gave to CBN because the Lord spoke to me. I wanted to be obedient to Him.” Andrew adds, “God taught us during this time that once we are obedient to Him, and we give, He definitely blesses us more and more.” After awhile, the Shcherbinas increased their pledge and began supporting CBN through Pledge Express. By the end of that year, something began to happen. The company, which the year before grossed just $75,000, suddenly was making $260,000 dollars!” “God started to bless us so much that I needed to hire employees and we had to expand,” says Andrew. And that’s when the heart change began for them as well. Yelena says, “When the money slowly started coming in, we got so excited. We we’re like, ‘What else can we buy, maybe for our house?’ -- until the Lord spoke and literally stop us. He’s like, ‘That’s not what I want you to do with your money. I want you guys to help a lot of other poor people and people who have never heard of My name.’” So within two years, the Shcherbinas increased their giving again and became members of the CBN Chairman Circle. God continued to bless them. “This works. It really works,” Andrew says. “When we decided to do this, our money did not even come out of the account yet. We just decided and we noticed the next day that there were new contracts, new developments. It’s just amazing.” Now in their beautiful home, God continues to bless Andrew and Yelena and the business continues to grow. “I want to encourage people to give to The 700 Club,” Andrew says. “If you sow, God will give you the time to reap. If you give, God will give you good measure pressed down. It’s about opening the doors for God to bless you.”