i make $13 an hour
i pay child support (that's NOT a complaint)
after that, if i save every penny from every check, i have $50 left over after rent
never mind gas, food, electricity, garbage, water, cell phones (we dont have a land line at home, and my kids are there alone, a lot) blah blah blah
most of these doods on tv talking about my money and what i need to to with it
... most of these doods (not all) but most of them
... i don't even know what to say
but i do know what the bible says
a couple months ago, i made a decision
after my wife got laid off, my back was up against the wall
i was put in a position where i had to put up or shut up
the bible dares me to trust God with my finances
concerning tithes, He says "test me in this and see if i wont pour out a blessing on you that you don't even have room enough to contain"
what do i have to lose? i don't make enough anyway. He either is who He says He is, and i believe in Him or i don't
so i made a solid choice to go on and quit being "some-timey" with my tithes
i decided that I'm gonna, from now on, pay tithes no matter what,
...
whether i "have it" or not
days later, i got sciatica
missed a whole week from work
that was thanksgiving week
a three day work week
i cant afford a three day work week
when i got back, one of my bosses told me he was gonna pay me for my lost time
...
that friday's check was not for the three days i missed, but for the entire five day week
he paid me for days we weren't even open
we got some groceries
i held on to as much as i could knowing rent was still WAY short
reg on the bike is out so i drive the explorer to work
gas nightmare
at work on a monday with less than a quarter tank
thinking about who im going to ask to carpool with to work (cant think of any one)
another one of my bosses, out of the blue, gives me his company business card and tells me to go fill up my car
i dont remember the last time i topped off the ford with gas
that tank lasted us for 8 days
company Christmas party
$500 bonus check
made rent AND got the kids some gifts ($40 limit for each)
rent is paid
presents under the box tree
life aint that bad
kinda worried about the bills though, and we have no phone
got a Christmas card with three $100 bills, and fifteen $20 bills
do the math
some body gave me a Christmas card (NOT Gran-Ma) with six hundred dollars in it!
turned our cell phones back on after almost two months
and still had enough to pay the water bill and the light bill
two days later
a pal comes in with a $100 gift card for the kids
that doubled their gifts
everything is paid
cool stuff i know my kids would love under the tree
cell phones back on
...
maybe its just coincidence
but it all happened the moment i decided to stop doing it when i felt like it, or it was convenient for me,
...
but TRULY trust God with my finances
it wasn't that long ago when i was making (AT LEAST) $1200 a week
i may be broke, but this has easily been the best Christmas of my life
merry Christmas to you
God speed,
-choir
(Black CAT)
hey BC - great story. The Lord is in control. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas brother. God is so great, it hurts sometimes just to try and understand.
ReplyDeletei love you brown bear!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt is not a coincidence! Since leaving the Army 3 years ago and regular pay over 70k a year we've struggled at every step to make ends meet, but payed our tithes. We've not only survived, but gotten job offers RIGHT when they were needed most, got financial benefits for college that kicked in RIGHT when they were needed most, and even managed to buy a house on an assessment of income that never came true (an involuntary recall to active duty for deployment to Afghanistan after discharge that never ended up happening and would have made us big bucks). We've never missed a house payment or gone deficient on our bills, and though we've only just scraped by with enough, it's always been enough.
ReplyDeleteHe is with us, brother, as long as we put our trust in Him.