Sometimes an ocean of debt can turn into a pool of pity.
I was complaining to my dad on the phone about my financial struggles. Specifically that I might not be able to open my in-ground pool this summer because the lining was torn, and I didn’t have the money to replace it. He didn’t sympathize or try to make me feel better by saying, “It’ll all work out.” What he did do was tell me a little bit about his early childhood.
Book history really springs to life when told by someone who lived it. I got a glimpse into the 1940s and how times have changed. My dad described the current conditions of poverty in other parts of the world, and I could see he was subtly telling me homes, food, and water are just some of the things we take for granted.
Money … the more we have, the more we spend. And there’s never enough to go around. Even a thankful person can become overwhelmed under that kind of pressure.
Jesus had none of these essentials during His years of ministry. He traveled from place to place, dependent on the hospitality of strangers to survive. He went about His Father’s business, knowing God would provide. He knew because He spent time with God—talking and listening.
God hasn’t changed. He still knows how to keep our feet on solid ground, as well as what to say and when to say it. He’s like my earthly father, but better.
Paul says people will be “lovers of themselves, lovers of money … unthankful.” I don’t want to be that person. Sometimes, even as an adult, you need a fresh perspective from your dad.
If you feel like you’re drowning, dive into God’s Word. Then give Him a call through prayer. He may just have something He wants to tell you.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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Cheryl Cunningham lives in New Jersey with her husband and four children. She is a stay-at-home mom who volunteers at a local crisis pregnancy center. She grew up in a Christian home as a preacher’s kid. Her love of writing was discovered following her first miscarriage when, through the loss of her unborn baby, a poem was born. She is the author of Holy Crap!, which can be found at http://www.blurb.com/b/4063210-holy-crap. She writes for the sheer joy of it and hopes to encourage others through sharing what God has done in her life.