Lessons and Mercy and God's Goodness, Oh My!

Hopefully no one reading this blog spends their days in a low-key panic that you and/or your spouse will be laid-off from your job. Yet if you are one of those people, please let this post encourage you, ok?

On that fateful day last August when Tom was laid-off from his job (along with 3 others), we had only $3,500 in savings. Now, for tons of years we'd heard that we should have at least 8 months' worth of expenses saved-up. Yet did we ever attempt to reach that 8-months of expenses mark? Did we believe Tom would ever be laid-off?

Uh, no. (Ding-bats, I know.)

So when Tom first told me he'd been laid-off, I was like, "Oh no! We've only got enough money to live on for maybe two months!" (Followed by additional, "Ack! Ack! Ack's!")

But then we came inside the house, sat at the dining room table (along with Naomi) and Tom said his company had given him a nice severance check, along with a couple others he was owed. Being a list-maker, I grabbed an old envelope and began totaling this extra money, breathed sighs of relief, even though Tom said we'd only see around half the severance check because taxes would eat it up.

They did. Eat it up, that is.

But still? Here we are seven months later and we haven't yet touched those savings accounts. And how fun--yes actually fun--it's been to watch God take care of us. To watch Him s-t-r-e-t-c-h our finances and make them travel doubly far. 

In little ways like, just before Naomi's birthday I'd decided to give her a $20 gift card from amazon.com, but before I did that, wow! Living Social had a deal where you could buy a $20 gift card at amazon.com for just $10. And to me--that is fun. That is like watching God, with my very own eyes, help us undeserving ding-bats.

And all those free groceries He's enabled me to buy just by waiting for sales and using a coupon! And---well, you get it. God's made Himself so obvious lately, shall we say.

But Tom and I have had to make God work harder than He would have if only we'd had a decent savings account before Tom lost his job. And yes, we put the majority of our extra money into this house and barn and that, in itself, is a type of savings. I realize that. 

But you can't eat a new garage or barn siding or replacement vinyl windows, now can you?  シ

And as I said, for lots of years I kept hearing everywhere that we should save money for a possible lay-off. And, well, I never did take that as seriously as I should have--and trust me, I've done a bit of head-hanging these past seven months. 

But that's where learning from our mistakes comes in. Believe me, I've learned some awesome lessons these past seven months! And here's what keeps returning to me--do your part and God will do His. 

But sometimes? God will do His part even if we mess-up ours. But as for me and my house, we desire to no longer be flakes. And may we no longer make God work harder than He should--and become become better listeners, instead. 

And learn all our lessons well. Very well, indeed.





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Of course, God provides for us and blesses us in other ways besides with money (I'm keeping a list of those ways, even). But this post, as you can tell by the photo at the top, is about, well, money matters. So there you go.



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"Trust in the Lord with all your heart.... lean not unto your own understanding.... in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."


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