Sorry my posts has been falling behind, but I have been trying to keep a mental track of what I'm grateful for each day so I can come back to post on it. I will continue to post as if it were that day. Thank you for your patience! We have been so busy this last week with life and planning Abigail's little birthday party (pictures and details to come!).
Day 10 - Today has been a hard day but a great day to be reminded that I am so thankful for difficult trials that the Lord uses in our lives to teach us dependence upon Him alone. Whether we face small "bumps in the road," or huge tests of our faith, both are opportunities for me to practice waiting upon the Lord; His provision and will.
Sometimes I can become easily overwhelmed when looking over things like finances that I tend to lose sight of Who is in charge of even the smallest details of our existence. I am so grateful that God has given me wonderful parent's whom I have watched over the years as they trust God pertaining to this topic! They have set such a wonderful example for me as they have sought to rely upon the Lord for monetary possessions.
I am also so grateful for my husband who seeks to make wise financial decisions for our family and who desires for us to live debt-free. That is a HUGE blessing to me and a very big priority to me. Even though my sinful desires to buy and own new things can be a struggle for me, I deeply desire to better learn to live within our God-given means with Kyle being our income provider. We believe That God has called me to be a stay-at-home mother to Abigail and the new baby (a full-time job in and of itself!!). We are very committed to this and I believe that God will honor us living out this calling if we are faithful to live with what He gives us. This doesn't mean that we will be able to afford all the fun things that people with bigger or two incomes can, but it does mean that God will provide us with what we actually NEED. Sadly, in America, our definition of need (my definition of need!) is much more than so many people have to live on.
God is teaching me during this season of life to trust Him in the big and small things and to be willing to let go of many of my "ideal" desires, which really boil down to lusts and covetous desires for material possessions that will only distract me from keeping my eyes fixed upon serving my Savior each and every day.
My prayer is that I will continue to grow in thankfulness for and knowledge of living simply and frugally. Living in this way prompts me to think through what is really important in life and what is just trivial or something I desire due to coveting.
I have to admit that not having a ton of money is such a beautiful gift from God! People who are blessed with a lot of money or who are even blessed with a nice, slightly plush income, do not have the same opportunities to trust God like those of us who have to pray for money every time a large medical bill arrives, or some other financial crises comes up, or even just to meet monthly bills! Even to have money set aside for vacations must be nice. However, for us, each year we get to watch God provide money out of seemingly "no where" to answer our prayer and desires to be able to take a simple trip. I am SO grateful that God is teaching us so much by requiring that we be patient and wait on His provision. This by no means is to imply that I have this down or that I choose to be happy or joyful all the time when money is tight, but God has been convicting me of my sins of complaining and coveting and I am slowly being sharpened and pruned for His glory.
What a great, mighty, and awesome God we serve that He would take time each and every day to provide for us in simple, yet big ways. I am so thankful for this!
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