When Your Lowest Point Becomes a Turning Point

–"I cried because we did not have the money to pay the bills. We wanted to pay them, but there was not enough money to pay them," Janet Hammitt remembers. "Bill collectors were awful to us. We tried to make arrangements, but it was never good enough. We just got to where we just didn’t answer the phone." When things got tough for Neal and Janet Hammitt during the 1980s, they were forced to the brink of disaster. Instead of going bankrupt, the Hammitt family took the high road. "We decided that no matter how long it took us, we would try to pay everybody back that wanted it," Neal Hammitt explains. Medical bills, credit cards, and other consumer debt had put them in the hole about $15,000 - $20,000. Because times were tough in the oil business where Neal worked as a driller, hope seemed a long way off. "I worked every day -- always have," Neal says. "If I got laid off somewhere, like the oil field, I’d go out and find something else. It might have been minimum wage or barely above, but I took whatever I could get." For Janet, the worst part was losing their house and having to move the children to new places. "They would cry every time we had to take them to a different school," Janet recalls. During this difficult time, Janet prayed to receive Jesus Christ as her Savior and Neal rededicated his life to the Lord. In spite of their tight finances, they decided to give to CBN. "We gave a $100 gift when I was only making about $300 a week," Neal says. "We just decided to step out in faith by what we read and what we saw on television programs. We decided to step out in faith and give $100 when we didn’t have it to give. We were on a very strict budget, yet all the bills were paid, food -- everything was taken care of. We never missed it." Within a short time, Neal knew he needed to make a career change. That’s when he learned of an opportunity in Tulsa to own his own truck, making deliveries for a large furniture company. In the first year, Neal said his new small business grossed an amazing $90,000! This year, the business will gross about $210,000. A lot of hard work and willingness to give had paid off. By the way, there is one more “small” blessing. When the Hammitts moved to Tulsa, they dreamed of owning a home. After all, they had lived for many years in a mobile home. Amazingly, they found a foreclosed home and put a very low bid on it. "We got it for about half the value that houses ran in that neighborhood," says Neal. "After we moved in, we found out that instantly we had $20,000 in equity. I’ve told plenty of people, 'If you want your finances blessed, then you need to give to the Lord. He’ll take care of you, just like His Word says.' " Being obedient to God's truth made an incredible difference for Neal and Janet. They made themselves available for God's love to flow through them to others, and they are reaping a blessing themselves as well. Join them in partnering with CBN. You will make a difference in lives around the world through medical missions, food and clothing programs, humanitarian outreaches, and so much -- all in the name of Jesus. Please join today.