A Short Tale of Blessing

Sometimes you have to let people know that God is still doing good things for people. Not because they don't know but because for the most part, we don't hear much about how good God is but rather, we hear how God is responsible for all the bad that happens in the world.

For several years now, I've been supporting what amounts to three households. Mine, my son and his wife, and an unmarried son who lives with us. We've had car troubles times three, job troubles times three, grocery troubles times three, utility troubles times three, illness times three.

My job is not the end of the rainbow, folks. My husband and I could live reasonably if it were just the two of us. But how many parents are going to see their children do without something it they can help. We all need a car and a job and food and a place to live. My kids are extravagant and wastful with very little money to start with. I know this but when the lights are about to be shut off or there is no food in the house, I am required to do something, if only by my own conscience. They are my children, any character flaws are probably partly my fault. You don't have to agree.

When they are sick, I have to buy medicines. If they need clothes or shoes, I have to help. I grew up fairly poor because my grandparents raised me on social security and child support of $60 a month. My grandfather worked but he drank up any surplus he had after Mama paid our living expenses. I remember commodities with canned meat, powdered eggs and milk and cheese. We gardened. I had flour sack dresses as a small child. Hey, back then it was pretty material and people baked their own breads. God took such good care of me through other people who provided beautiful clothes and sometimes food and even my grandmother's medicines. I would be truly unthankful if I did not give back some of that blessing. So I do more for my children than I should.

The consequences have been that I've had times in the last six years when I had money problems that caused me a lot of stress and I've done without some things I needed for myself. Thankfully, I have good health insurance and a steady job and my husband has a small VA pension and medical care. So, we've survived.

Even before I got my job, in fact, since my sophomore year in college in 94, we struggled with more debt that we could handle that resulted from two years unemployement and waiting on the VA to get his pension. Family sent money here and there when they could but we nearly hit bottom a few times. And there was no housing assistance or food stamps. We had to make it alone. A second mortagage gave us enough money to consolidate debts and temp jobs kept us above water, barely. That extra debt didn't go away once we got jobs. It was one more bill to pay. We struggled to keep from drowning until this last year.

God blessed us by letting us get the house refinanced just before the real estate market bottomed out. I might have gotten a cheaper rate today but I would not have been able to refinance because now, the values of homes has spiraled downward.

During all that time, I have always paid my thithes. There were times when not paying them seemed the better choice but I made a promise that when I got my first job, as long as I earned a dollar, God would have his portion and more if I could do it. I've never backed down from that. And the first two years I worked at my current job, I added $25 every two weeks to my tithes because I had promised God I would if he gave me the job. I had promised to do that for one year but I felt so blessed that I continued for a second year. But hard times came in the form of a teenager who got in trouble. So the extra just wasn't there.

I realize all this may mean nothing to you if you are struggling. The bitterness of hardship lashes out at such tales with "why not me?" Believe me, I know.

I can only say that God has been so very good. He has put people in my path who made my way easier at times. He has opened doors and coffers to fill needs. Not every issue is resolved easily and sometimes something doesn't get fixed. At times, I can't buy something I need. Groceries at times are a problem because I may have to feed six of us for a few days. But we've not gone hungry. The lights are paid, although it has become more difficult here. And we've cut down on going anywhere but to work or to church twice on Sunday.

Today, as I paid my bills, I realized that there has been a little money left over lately that allowed me to start paying down on the few credit debts we have left. I will be clear of one in 60 days and that money can be applied to the second one. I found my student loan payment has dropped to 1/4 of what I was paying. I have no idea why! but I paid more than the minimun, just as I have always done. If God continues to help, I will be able to clear that debt in 12 months... after more than 10 years of trying to pay it off!

In January I got a raise. We get cost of living increases in my job, not that they are anywhere near the cost of living! At the end of the January, during Sunday night service, I felt prompted to give an offering equal to the amount of my raise that month. That's $50. I hesitated about a minute because I debated doubling it. But I stuck with the $50. That is what it cost me in gas each week.

I don't believe in the so called prosperity doctrine. I don't believe that the more you give to a church or a tele-evangelist the richer you will get. BUT I do believe that God takes care of his people. I believe that if we give to God what he asked of us, he will give us all he promised. There may be times we have to struggle but David said that "I've never seen the righteous forsaken or His seed begging bread."

I can promise you, I've never gone hungry but bills have gone unpaid for a time. I always pay my debts but there have been times when it took a little time. I have had to struggle. I have been afraid. And I have cried over my situation. But it is days like today, when I can't figure out what happened to my bills that I am reminded that God is working for my good.

You need Macromedia's Flash player to view this item.