It Makes Perfect Cents

Proverbs 22:17-23:11

Proverbs 23:4-5 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.  Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.


Wearing ourselves out... Man, I can relate.  Is anybody else worn out?  It was only a few months ago that I felt like I could have crumbled into a million pieces from sheer exhaustion.  Between work (only part-time), a 7 month old, a sick daddy, cleaning, and groceries - I felt like a robot.  I can barely recall that period of time that passed between when I returned to work when Holden was 7 weeks old and when I quit at 7 months old.  It's like a blur.  It really makes me sad and it's one of those, "I wish I knew then what I know now" moments.

Now, I have to pause for the cause and tell you I'm not judging you if you have to work.  I get it.  If you are happy and you know that God has you where you need to be - Glory be to Him!  I guess my hope in writing this today is to relate to that someone who is feeling exhausted and who feels that God wants something different from them... I hope I can challenge you to look at your budget for the umteenth time...  I hope you can find some freedom in living smaller...

Perspective.  It's all in how you frame your life.  Let me tell you, I have plenty of friends and acquaintances that are very wealthy.  I am talking huge houses, expensive vehicles, private school, the nicest boutique clothes, the best of the best.  And they love the Lord.  So, more power to them!!! But that is not us.  Not even close.  Things are tight.  Reeeealllly tight!  We live in an extremely modest home that is quite small.  Our cars are older and definitely nothing fancy.  Rhea Lana's and Goodwill are some of my favorite shopping spots!  But then there are people all over the world - the majority of the world - who would look at my life and say the same things I said about others' lives to me!  Can you imagine trying to explain to that Honduran family how poor you are as they sit in their dirt shack "house?"  Be careful who you frame your life around.

When I got pregnant, there was no question in my mind that I would continue to work.  None at all.  I never ever saw myself as a stay-at-home kinda gal.   Then that precious baby was born and EVERYTHING CHANGED!  The day kept getting closer and closer - the dreaded day I would have to return to work.  To say it incited anxiety in me is an understatement.  I was an absolute wreck!  To me, there was nothing more painful and excruciating than leaving Holden with someone else.  But Justin and I didn't see a way out.  We looked at our budget a thousand times and there was no wiggle room, so we thought.

As a consequence of that decision, life went south pretty quickly after I went back to work.  Holden kept getting sick and like I mentioned above, I was spent!  Emotionally and physically I was simply unraveling.  My daddy kept getting sicker, too and I just didn't have an ounce of energy left at the end of my days to love on my husband.  In fact, I resented him.  Things got bad enough that we called in our Pastor to counsel us through it.  We looked at our budget again and this time we really prayed for God to give us a way out of this mess.  I left work before we knew how it was all going to work out - with all the faith I could muster. The truck was sold and the cell phone plan dropped.  Justin traded his iPhone for an awesome, state-of-the-art flip phone.  We started living off cash in envelopes.  Our budget for gifts is an astonishing  $10 a month!  Rabbit ears work just fine for us, too.  Funny thing is, we have never been more at peace in our entire lives.   I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am doing what God asked of me.  I have actual time to really read my Bible.  I am able to get out of my bubble and give back to my neighborhood.  I experience life with Holden and I see him develop every single new skill.  I get to serve my husband with a glad heart.  I am able to care for my father.  I'm a better friend.  The benefits... The benefits far outweigh that exhausting, never-ending, uphill climb to have money.

If you want to stay home - pray about it.  First and foremost, be obedient to God.  Let me encourage you that if it's luxuries that are holding you back, girlfriend, it isn't worth it.  If you feel like you can't cut that grocery budget any more than you already have - look at it again.  When you decide that "fun money" is a necessity, rethink what is fun.  If your house payment is too much, think about living smaller.  Buy an older car.  Be cautioned that framing your life against someone else is dangerous territory.  There is always someone else with a bigger house, nicer furniture, and cuter clothes.  It is never ending.   Remember that riches sprout wings like an eagle... Don't spend your precious time and energy chasing that elusive pipe dream.

My study today challenges me to do the following: "Take out your wallet, purse, credit cards, checkbook, and key chain, and hold them in your hands.  As you look at the pile in your hands, keep your eyes open and pray.  Ask your heavenly  Father to help you be a wise steward of all the money and possessions he has entrusted to you.  Every time you pull out your wallet or purse to make a purchase, as yourself the question, Will this purchase be a wise one, and will it honor God?"