Saturday, March 07, 2015

That funny piece of paper

Last week we got that funny piece of paper that comes in the mail this time of the year- Glenn's Social Security Statement.

Looking at our annual income over the past 16 years the four digit numbers outnumber the five digit ones and there are a couple of zeros and it makes me shake my head in wonder. How on earth did we eat? Or pay rent? When I asked Caleb he said, "I'm gonna guess God." :)

He's right. I love looking at those numbers and chatting with Glenn about where we were when and what we were doing and how God provided for us. He has been so generous to us - through all the years of school and working and waiting.

When we headed off to Houghton pregnant with baby number three I asked God how we were going to make it in the middle of no where with no job prospects and a family with two, going on three kids to house and feed while Glenn was in school full time. He said, "Trust Me." And we did. And He provided. Seeing Him faithfully provide through those years made it much easier to look ahead at the 4 paycheck-less years of med school when they finally came. He provided through those years too.

Looking at that piece of paper I did some quick addition with the calculator and discovered that he will earn about the same amount in his first two years of residency as he did in our first 13 years of marriage. Craziness. And people say residents don't make much money. Compared to where we've been we are rich.

We aren't rich because of our amazingly large net worth- our financial net worth is actually a quite a large negative number thanks to student loans. We aren't rich because of the huge paychecks Glenn gets. We are rich because we have an amazing Provider who knows our needs and meets them and is so generous to give us above and beyond.

Everything we have is from Him and is His that He's given us to steward and it's amazing how much He stretches what's left when you give Him the first line in your budget. I think tithing and giving generously when He asks us to is part of the key to the financial freedom we enjoy.

We're going on a trip at the end of the month. It is costing far more than I ever dreamed it would. Every time I log on and check our bank account I wonder, "Why is there still money in there??" I know it is because my God continues to provide for our needs.
You brought me this far
So why would I question You now
You have provided
So why would I start to doubt
I’ve never been stranded, abandoned
Or left here to fight alone
So I’m giving You control (Lift My Life Up by Unspoken)
 He is faithful. You can trust Him.

So Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide. 
And it is said to this day, On the mount of the Lord it will be provided. (Genesis 22:14)