We would like to invite you to praise the goodness of our God with us. He has had us on a journey of growing our faith and molding us over these last few years (and He has all of His children and we are still being perfected). Clay and I got married with two years left of college (we’ve been married almost 6 years). We had plans of finishing school and both of us working for about 5 years before starting a family and we figured that we would have 3 or 4 children. We also both knew that we would like to do missions if God called us to that. We came out of college with significant debt (almost all of Clay’s college and my last two years) and credit card debt. We were not very wise in some of the choices we made – but we figured that with both of us working we would have it paid off in a short time after we got out of school.
We did not plan on God convicting us about our use of birth control just a few months after getting married. We both just felt like God was telling us that if we really trusted in Him and believed Him to be in control of all things that we would trust Him to give us a child in His perfect timing and that He would provide for all of our needs. We were preparing to graduate, I found a job, and Clay was preparing to go ahead an get his Master’s when we found out we were pregnant with our first child – just two days after walking across the stage to get our diplomas.
So we were a two-income family for only about 6 months out of our whole marriage. Needless to say we did not really pay off much of that enormous debt that we had incurred. Instead, we just got by and when something out of the ordinary would happen – the expense would go on credit cards.
A few months before we had Gabriella we were to the point of barely able to pay all of our bills. We were trying to eat rice and beans and meals prepared from chicken legs for most of our meals. We kept trying to remind ourselves that we were still eating better than most of the people in the world. We would do well for a little bit living inside our means and then we would just break down and go get something.
So we got further and further in debt. The summer after I had Gabriella I was in a Bible study and the Lord really used that to convict me of the sin of our debt. I felt like the Lord was saying that if we were going to trust Him to take care of us and provide that we had to pray more and take our hands off of the circumstances and let Him be the provider. That’s when we tried to stop using the credit cards at all. Clay switched jobs to bring home more money and then we cut up our credit cards. It is neat to look back and see how much God has provided for us.
There are so many instances of us looking at our budget and deciding that there was no way we could afford certain things. Then we would pray and God would provide. When Clay took this job we were a single car family but his job took him farther away from home with less flexibility to go in late and work around appointments and such. So we were concerned about the car issue. A little after Clay decided he was going to take the job we were given a car (an 84 Subaru that sounded like a motorcycle – but it got him back and forth to work.) We were ecstatic. Three months later we were given Nissan Sentra that is much more reliable.
Another instance was God’s provision of a mattress. We knew that it would be years before we could save to buy one. When I was pregnant with Jeremiah I would wake up with a backache so bad that I was having trouble walking – so we prayed and told God that we would really like a new one, but that we were thankful that at least we had a mattress. We were then given a mattress in much better condition when Clay’s parents decided to buy them a new mattress.
There would be times were I would wonder how in the world we were going to clothe Micah for the next season. I would worry and scheme and then I would tell the Lord that I did not know how I was going to clothe her. Then I would get a package in the mail full of clothes or I would get trash bags full of clothes that one of my friend’s from high school’s daughter had outgrown.
I had decided that I wanted to use cloth diapers for the third baby. We had budgeted so that we could afford to buy them. But then we had a lot of sickness with the girls and therefore a lot of doctors’ visits and a hospital stay. As a result of all the unplanned medical expenses, we did not have the money set aside for diapers. Again we talked with God about this and told Him of our desire for this. We were given 270 dollars about 6 weeks before we had Jeremiah. I was able to use that money for the cloth diapers and accessories that we had wanted to buy.
We were also was given a crib that turned into a toddler bed along with a cute bed set for a nursery. I had always wanted to buy a cute little nursery set but never felt like I had the money. I was quite excited to finally get one.
Another instance was that our pots and pans were in desperate need of replacing. We knew our financial situation would not allow for us to purchase them for many months or years. Clay and I prayed about the need for new ones and the resources to get them. I knew Clay was going to try and find away to come up with the money to bless me with new pots and pans for Christmas. But much to our surprise – the Lord had a different plan of providing those. One day Clay came home and brought me a very nice set of pots and pans and said that someone had asked him what he wanted to get me for Christmas. Then they bought pots and pans for me.
There were times when I was concerned about our food situation. One time a friend that was moving brought us everything that was left in their freezer and fridge. Another time there was a box of food brought to us. Not to mention all the meals that were provided for us after the birth of babies and after we got out of the hospital with Gabriella.
We could go on and on about all the ways we’ve seen God provide…
There were so many times in the midst of all of this that we would pray, “God we know you can deliver us from this. We also know that there are consequences to our sin of getting ourselves in debt. But God we are tired of living in bondage to all this debt and we want to learn whatever You want us to learn through this time. If You choose to deliver us praise You. If You choose to have us pay this out for the next thirty years praise You. We want Your will.“
I was quite ecstatic a few days ago when someone came to our home a wrote us a check that covers all of credit card debt, pays off our car, and leaves some money for us to finish up some projects around the house that we’ve never had money to do – so that we can get the house ready to sale. Praise be to the Lord, the Great Deliver!!!
As Clay was driving home that afternoon God reminded him that He gave us so much more in His Son, Jesus. As a result of this monetary gift of so much, I am now realizing how unfathomable is the Gift of Christ. How incomprehensible is His Gift!
Our prayer is that God would be glorified in our lives and that we would be surrendered to Him in every area of our lives. Whatever hardships or victories may come our way we want our lives to be the fragrance of Christ.
