How Not To Cry When Everything Breaks
Today I am the proud owner of a brand new GE stove in my kitchen. Joy bubbles up in me when I see that shiny new top with no chipped enamel or stains that even a Magic Eraser can’t get off. May I brag that I now have convection and air fryer features in my oven? (Smart enough to use them? That remains to be seen.) Of course, I had to throw away three racks of raw ribs that I thought had been cooking for hours this weekend, not knowing the 20-year-old stove had given up the ghost. And the plumber is now on his way, because the gas line needs to be tweaked so that the oven will push back flush against the wall, adding another thousand dollars to the expense. Also, yesterday Matt had dental work done–not as exciting as the oven but equally spendy.
Someone will have to tell YNAB (our budgeting app).
Two steps forward.
Three steps back.
But I have promised you a grand lesson in how not to cry in a week like this, when you have to pull from savings instead of adding to it. So let me start with my dad.
“It’s just money,” he would always say when something had to be replaced. It comes and goes. Goes more often than it comes. Not the end of the world. (If you are a parent, let me encourage you that if you speak wisdom and keep speaking it over and over to your children, it will continue to help them even after you’ve gone to be with Jesus. Dad has been gone 12 years this month, and his phrase about money is here to calm me.)
Next stop, Jesus. (Probably should have started with Jesus.)
“Don’t worry,” Jesus says. He promises the Father knows exactly what we need and can take care of it. Hasn’t he already provided for Matt and I, by teaching us about having an emergency savings and helping us put money in it? He was helping us before and will help us now.
Is your money draining out faster than it’s pouring in right now?
It’s just money.
Don’t worry. Jesus has you.
EPILOGUE: After writing this article last week, I prayed. I didn’t draw money out of savings to cover the stove. Instead, I prayed and asked the Lord if he would provide so that we wouldn’t have to take money out of savings to do it. (We had been working really hard to rebuild our emergency savings account.) Yesterday, Matt and I went to pick up our taxes, and we had overpaid on our quarterly estimates last year –enough to pay for the stove and the gas line work and Matt’s dental work. Jesus is able to do abundantly more than all we ask or imagine. Just one more story added to his many kindnesses to us over the years. I don’t know what his provision for you will look like, but I am confident that if you pray and ask for help he will help you.
Jesus is so sweet to us when we trust Him! His provision so often surprises me, yet HE DID promise to provide!!! Love Him so much and so blessed by your blog today {reading it a bit later than when it was received…♡} Thank you, Christy!!!
My Grandma used to always say, “Well, of course. Didn’t we pray for this?”
Thank you for this post. It is very timely for my husband and I. My husband just had cataract surgery, he has to have a sleep study in April, I just had to have a tooth pulled, and we found out yesterday that my husband will lose his job as of April 24. Whew! But God already knew about all this, and I know He will provide every need, and He will give wisdom in the next steps for Tim’s job situation. God is good and I’m doing my best to praise Him in this storm.
So many hard financial hits all at once! I’m sorry. It’s painful to go backward financially instead of forward. May the Lord help you both to persevere in faith. May he provide for you financially and prepare a new job for your husband. He is good!
I have needed a new stove for years — only one burner works. I have several similar financial issues looming right now. After reading your article, I have chosen to ask Y’shua to cover my financial needs & to bless my son financially (another story). I thank Him in advance, knowing He will answer & provide, even in ways I cannot comprehend. Faith & Trust, two simple one-syllable words I practice daily.
May I cheer you on for living with one burner? Better to live with that than to go into debt to get something shiny and new, as so many people do. I will add my prayers that the Lord will give you and your son just what you need when you need it.
I just LOVE it when the LORD provides! Your word stories are such a blessing and well written. There is nothing better than having prayer answered on the LORD’s timetable. He’s always working on making us better warriors! I wish we were neighbors! I would love to send you something, if you check me out, perhaps you could send me a mailing address via my email. I have some old websites: chezbettay.com, LoveYourParentsToDeath.com, barefootontheROCK.com
My husband said, “I can’t believe you’re so calm about these huge oven expenses.” I truly was resting in the Lord’s provision. I’m so glad I didn’t panic and lose sleep over it like I’ve foolishly done so often in the past.
🙌
Praise Him! Big hugs from NC! 😉