An old joke goes like this, "How do you eat an elephant?" The punch line is, "One bite at a time." I can remember being young and telling that joke to somebody and thinking it was the funniest thing in the world. Well, times and humor changes but in a wierd kind of way, that joke has application to many real life situations. As I shared in several blogs, I'm going through a period of financial woe. A divorce brought a huge drop in income and benefits and now I am left with the job of putting things back together.
On my daily 2.5 hour commute, I've been spending a lot of time praying about this situation. I've claimed Isaiah 54 as being special to my life now. The whole chapter is a message of love and care for people who need God's help. For people who are single, facing life alone, it's often doubly hard to face trials because we're doing it ourselves. I'm claiming Isaiah 54: 5 "For your Maker is your husband, The Lord of hosts is His name." So, when things like insurmountable bills come I take it to the Lord in prayer. "God you know I don't have enough money to pay these bills. You know I can't work another job on top of the one I have, you've got to help me figure it out."
So far I'm gaining a little hope that things will work out eventually. I will maybe lose a possession or two, be unable to get credit, but all in all I'm not worried about starving; or not having water or electricity. So from a stark realistic point of view, things aren't all that bad, just unplesant for a while. As much as I wanted to ride my bike this evening I pulled out the big basket of bills and started in writing letters to creditors. First I made a list in a notebook of everyone I owe. Then I picked who to start with. Well for working on student loans I need my glasses, apparently our government likes very small print, I can't see what it says. So I picked three other bills, wrote two letters, and paid one tiny bill. Yippee! I'm on my way.
God is faithful and will not give us more than we can bear. I had released my divorce situation to God, and lawyers and judges aside I really believe that if God wanted me to get support from that marriage it would have happened. The fact it didn't well I just have to accept it and move on. There is a verse if the new Testament that says, Having food and clothes be content with such things as you have. (I Timothy 6:8) Funny that an old hippy like me should like things so much, but I do. Perhaps learning to let go of loving things is something God knew I really needed to work on, so here I am.
Tonight I missed seeing the trees, paths and breezes by giving up my bike ride to work on my bills, but I'm tackling the "elephant" of my debt, one bite at a time. If I just keep working on it, pretty soon a plan will surface and the whole "burden" feeling will go away. There are millions of people who are going through financial problems, all over the world. Experiencing my own financial problems should help me understand what they are going through. As God comforts me through my own struggle I can share that message to someone else who may think there is no hope. Hope is a priceless thing; you can't buy it or sell it; but through sharing you can give it away. It is my desire that someone, somewhere will read my thoughts and find a spark kindled of daring to believe that God is real, He cares and will help them through their storm.
Today, if the financial giants in your own life are threatening to steal your joy and peace, take heart; God is still on the throne and prayer changes things! Seek Him, ask for help and then do what you can do. Keep believing, your joy will someday come in the morning.
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