Or at least prayers where the answer was a resounding NO, LOL!
After a series on finances at our church (perfect timing with this economy, eh?), I requested Your Money Map from our library. I've skimmed through quite a few chapters already. I'm so thankful that Ted and I have no credit card debt, and currently the only debt we do have is about $1700 left to pay on our minivan. (It will be paid off just in time to get another vehicle that will better fit our family, ha!) Even though the book contains a lot of information that Ted and I already know, have accepted, and claimed for our lives as stewards of the resources God has given us, it is still good to be reminded that EVERYTHING we have is God's, and it can ALL be used for His glory--not just whatever we tithe.
This morning I was reflecting during my prayer time, asking God for wisdom in directing us to a new (or "new") vehicle, saving more, etc., and I couldn't help but start to praise Him once again for His protection over our finances. Some may remember that in 2005 we were asking for prayers for Ted as he flew from Maryland to Las Vegas on a house-hunting trip. Every person we talked to had told us we simply HAD to buy a house--the market was hot, hot, HOT, and we'd make so much money when it was time for us to move again. Ted did his best, but it seemed we hit a brick wall every time we thought perhaps we had found a house we could actually afford to buy.
Finally we opened our minds to the possibility of renting a house instead of purchasing one. Immediately our prospects looked much better--there were tons of rentals going for less than our housing allowance, so we'd actually be able to use some of the allowance for utilities, etc., instead of over-stretching our budget simply to make a mortgage payment.
So we moved into a 2,000 square-foot rental in August 2005. In May 2006 we had to move to another rental because the owner was facing foreclosure. In October 2007 we once again had to move to another rental because THAT owner was not only facing foreclosure but also charges of fraud and who knows what else. (Goodbye, security deposit!!)
Thankfully we haven't had to move again, and even though the process of moving 3 times locally has been painful and frustrating (that 4,000 square-foot house we were in before this one is STILL sitting empty, sigh), we are just so thankful that WE are not the owners going through a foreclosure!!!
God truly does know best! I thank Him over and over for protecting us. If we had bought a house in 2005, it would have been highly overpriced, and then we would be faced with trying to sell it in this market. Not a good prospect.
Thank you, Father!!
5 comments:
That's such a great testimony of how God looks after us even when we don't see it! It's so neat to look back and see God's hand in everything. Thanks for sharing that!
Natalie
What a great blessing that God has done for your family.
AMEN!!! We were prodded by more than one person to buy a house when we got married and "could make triple payments with two incomes and have it paid off in a few years." Problem was, there weren't too many decent houses around that would be affordable on one income if something happened and we couldn't both work. And the affordable ones were smaller than a two-bedroom apartment and not in nice neighborhoods. As the next couple of years of our life unfolded, we thanked the Lord over and over again that we were renters!
Isn't that a Garth Brookes song?
You caught me, Penni! LOL
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