Once Bankrupt Now Prosperous

Linda Beavert never thought she’d be able to enjoy retirement.

“I've just sailed through it. I know because God's held my hand, you know.  He answers, and he leads me and there's just no better peace, no better confidence.”

For most of their thirty-seven-year marriage, Linda and her husband struggled financially, even though they both worked full-time.

“I was never comfortable about our money situation. We didn't know about budgeting; we never budgeted, and we lived from hand to mouth, just about.”

They also spent more than they made and racked up thousands in credit card debt along the way. In 1997, they were forced to declare bankruptcy.

“That didn't help us because we didn't change our habits after bankruptcy court,” Linda recalls. “We didn't want to answer the phone most of the time ‘cause we knew we had something coming up that we couldn't pay right then.”

When her husband passed away in 2004, Linda was grief-stricken and uncertain about the future. In spite of her concerns, she made a decision.

“‘The day after he died, I talked to God and I said, ‘I'm going to start tithing to you.’ I had been going to a church that taught about tithing and I had seen the results of tithing in the other members' lives and I knew that's what I was going to do.’”  

Soon after, her finances improved.

“I just wrote that check and, you know, it wasn't very long before I was able to start giving to people a little bit here and there. Then I got his state retirement, which helped me. I have had people give me things, clothes or take me out to lunch more than I expected.”

A few years later, Linda was able to retire. She continued to increase her giving and decided to partner with CBN.

“God told me last December I needed to start giving to CBN because I watch it almost every day. I love CBN. I love watching what they do across the world with helping people that just really need help. I like being a part of that. Helping people in the third world countries that just need water, just, you know, to even live and not get sick drinking from the creeks by their house. I think that's probably the part closest to my heart.”  

Today, Linda says she’s more financially secure than she’s ever been.

“Now I'm just in peace and comfort because I may not have a million dollars, but everything is taken care of, you don't have to worry. There's a verse in the Bible that says when we give, he gives back pressed down, shaken together and running over, and I believe he's given back to me in that way.  He gave his best gift for us-- Jesus. We can't top that. Whatever we do, we're just giving back to him.”