I want to take the time today to personally thank Him, our Lord, for another amazing blessing He has sent our way. I am so often overwhelmed by His goodness to me ... filled with unspeakable joy! And always such a sense of wonder. Why me? But, then, it's not just me. (It just feels that way.) It's true for all those who treasure Jesus Christ above all else -- His children.
You may remember a previous post in which I described our need for a washing machine being miraculously filled. Well, here's the latest.
David has been on vacation for the past month. We didn't go any place special, but we had a wonderful time. His uncle died a couple of months ago, and he left David a 33-year old RV which he and David had worked on for the past couple of years. To say the vehicle was used would be a supreme understatement. What had been done to that vehicle gives new meaning to the word 'used.'
We spent much of the vacation working on the motor home. It's looking kinda cute. We even took a couple of day trips to nearby lakes. However, we spent a lot of money during this past month (not all on the RV) just doing little things. Being an accountant, I handle our finances very carefully. As all accountants do, I operate as though we are one step away from starvation. (David has lost 50 pounds, by the weigh...) That is why we have what we do have, which is a rather ordinary home on a little lake, and everything in life we need. Need ... not want. Actually, come to think of it, we also have everything we want, too. We don't want much. We're getting rid of things rather than amassing them.
Our only extravagance is eating out at simple restaurants 2-3 times each week. We each have a vehicle, seldom buy clothes, our hobbies are inexpensive or free, and we lead a rather frugal life. Since I no longer work at an outside job, our income is average, and our only debt is a truck. However, like so many individuals and businesses, the uncertainty of what our government will do to us next - and to our finances and our retirement funds - keeps us unusually vigilant, even looking for possible areas to cut out spending if the necessity should arise. In a nutshell, the money spent on our 'vacation' this past month was not in the budget, but I felt that David deserved to do what he wanted during his vacation.
As a result of that unexpected expense, I found myself eyeing that 'what-we-could-cut-out' list. I didn't see how we could cover what we had spent without using a credit card (no...) or dipping into our savings (also no...) or cutting something out for 2-3 months. That last one was my solution of choice, but it would impact other individuals, too. Don't like to do that at all.
David came home yesterday and announced he had received a fairly large raise at work. I was stunned. Knowing the state of our government's finances and the economy, I had mentally somewhat prepared myself for a pay cut, or a cut in hours. Or worse. Thousands of teachers have been laid off in our area. Fortunately (for many reasons), David does not work for the public school system.
The thought of a raise never once entered my mind. But it was in the mind of God.
"Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." Malachi 3:10
During my lifetime I have experienced Lamentations 3 ... but long ago I landed on verse 23 and stayed there.
" ... his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."
A Child of The King
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