Financial Recovery From Failure and Bankruptcy

Mike and Suzanne Gance loved owning their own Italian restaurant in Binghamton New York. Suzanne says, "People started coming as soon as we opened and business was great."

Mike agrees, "And I really loved it. I loved serving people and it was just a lot of fun."

The couple knew how to make customers happy, but not how to manage the finances. The restaurant closed. Mike and Suzanne had to declare bankruptcy and lost everything they owned in the process.

Mike says, "We filed bankruptcy in that time period to keep off the IRS and the sales tax people."

"We ran out of money" says Suzanne, "and we were in debt so deep it was like losing my house and walking away in shame. Now we had no income and we weren't going to have a house and we weren't going to have jobs so it was a dark time, a bad time."

Their pastor gave them hope that their finances could be restored if they would be obedient to give God ten percent of their income. At first they were skeptical. Mike remembers, "How could I start tithing? How could this be true that I would start tithing on $50 a week income? How would I ever pay my bills and give God ten percent? But he said to me and I remember it to this day, he said, 'Mike if it's hard for you to tithe on a little, you won't tithe when you have a lot.' And that really made an impression on me that if I could trust God with what I had I could see what would happen."

They began tithing on Suzanne's unemployment. Then Mike had a business idea - making and delivering sandwiches to local businesses. They tithed on the income and the sandwich delivery business became a huge success.

"It grew" says Mike, "it grew from one route to two routes to three routes to four routes to a couple hundred businesses that we were servicing out of our house. God provided each day along the way the things that we really needed."

Before long the business became a full scale catering company. Mike says, "People asked us for catering events and larger catering events and bigger events and before we knew it we were doing jobs that the other premier caterers in our area wanted and we would get. Because I was able to understand God's principal on money God trained me that when I did get more money I didn't squander it."

Mike and Suzanne also give to CBN.

"I give to CBN because I believe they're tried and true ministry and they've been around a long time. God has used them in many ways and I just see all the work they're doing. I just think it's a ministry that's after God's heart." Mike says.

Today Gance's Catering is thriving. They own several other businesses in their community as well. Mike and Suzanne attribute their success to God's faithfulness, and their obedience to give.

"I really believe that when I started tithing," says Mike, "when I learned that principal of tithing I believe there was a transformation in my mind about how I thought about money; that it wasn't mine anymore, that it was God's and that I was able to use it."

Suzanne says, "We never stopped. I was almost afraid not to tithe because I liked that comfort of knowing God was in control. Finances are really no big deal to Him. He can do it. He can figure it out for you."

Mike says "But if you don't have that priority of that God is the owner of everything and you're just a steward you can get all mixed up. So I think relying on Him is the answer."

Being obedient to God's truth made an incredible difference for Mike and Suzanne. 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.