Comments on: Q&A: Money is tight and the stress is hurting my family. What can I do? http://workathomehomeschoolingmom.com/2008/11/qa-money-is-tight-and-the-stess-is-hurting-my-family-what-can-i-do/ Balancing Life as a work-at-home, homeschooling mom Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:04:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Marla http://workathomehomeschoolingmom.com/2008/11/qa-money-is-tight-and-the-stess-is-hurting-my-family-what-can-i-do/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Marla Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:30:23 +0000 http://workathomehomeschoolingmom.com/?p=21#comment-7 What Shannon said was wonderful and well thought out. I hope the one who inquired sees this answer from Shannon. Don't miss the last paragraph! I just wanted to add, as someone who has dealt with alternating wealth and poverty, that sometimes you need to look for ways to RESPOND rather than things to DO. As believers, we must be careful to watch our motives. Are we looking to alleviate what we consider God's "lack" of provision? Are we wanting to get out from a situation He's sent to grow us? (...like Shannon said in the last paragraph.) So, I recommend a response of prayer for His perspective. Ask Him to show you what you're meant to learn. Ask Him to show you what you're meant to allow Him to change. Ask Him to strengthen your faith and that of your family...especially your husband. Ask Him (most of all) for the PATIENCE to wait for His answer in His timing. Be prepared to hear unusual answers. One answer He's given me in the midst of terrible economic downturns is "GIVE." For example, God gave Isaac to Abraham and then required Abraham to sacrifice him and give Isaac back. When Abraham exhibited his willingness and commitment to obedience, God returned Isaac. Likewise, examine your attitude towards homeschooling. Do you do it because you don't trust God with your children at public school? I've allowed that attitude to creep in, believe me. Ask forgiveness and express a willingness to forgo it and EVERYTHING that would undermine your faith in His provision. God will sometimes take away even good things in order that we may learn greater spiritual truths. Another aspect of giving is one I'm dealing with right now. In the midst of our financial difficulty, I collected the best things I have in order to sell them and buffer our accounts a bit. Then God said, "Don't sell them. Give them away." Ouch! It's my good stuff! Well, that's what we're doing and while it feels good to give, we realize that God has clearly made us put our faith back in Him rather than on these earthly "treasures". We're left with very little as far as alternatives...we are FORCED to trust Him! The thing is, my children are watching, my husband is watching and their faith is growing. If we respond to their panic with panic of our own, they will believe that God is somehow not the Provider we know Him to be. They will think He is small and in need of help. We need our children to know that even in the midst of suffering, God is GREAT and we are in the middle of His will so long as we obey! Yes! We may be without furniture and eating rice and beans for months and that may be JUST what God wants for us to do...for whatever length of time He deigns! Look at the Israelites: slaving in the Egyptian desert one day and walking out of Egypt the next day dripping in jewels! God did it then and He does it now! God bless you! Marla What Shannon said was wonderful and well thought out. I hope the one who inquired sees this answer from Shannon. Don’t miss the last paragraph!

I just wanted to add, as someone who has dealt with alternating wealth and poverty, that sometimes you need to look for ways to RESPOND rather than things to DO. As believers, we must be careful to watch our motives. Are we looking to alleviate what we consider God’s “lack” of provision? Are we wanting to get out from a situation He’s sent to grow us? (…like Shannon said in the last paragraph.) So, I recommend a response of prayer for His perspective. Ask Him to show you what you’re meant to learn. Ask Him to show you what you’re meant to allow Him to change. Ask Him to strengthen your faith and that of your family…especially your husband. Ask Him (most of all) for the PATIENCE to wait for His answer in His timing. Be prepared to hear unusual answers. One answer He’s given me in the midst of terrible economic downturns is “GIVE.”

For example, God gave Isaac to Abraham and then required Abraham to sacrifice him and give Isaac back. When Abraham exhibited his willingness and commitment to obedience, God returned Isaac. Likewise, examine your attitude towards homeschooling. Do you do it because you don’t trust God with your children at public school? I’ve allowed that attitude to creep in, believe me. Ask forgiveness and express a willingness to forgo it and EVERYTHING that would undermine your faith in His provision. God will sometimes take away even good things in order that we may learn greater spiritual truths.

Another aspect of giving is one I’m dealing with right now. In the midst of our financial difficulty, I collected the best things I have in order to sell them and buffer our accounts a bit. Then God said, “Don’t sell them. Give them away.” Ouch! It’s my good stuff! Well, that’s what we’re doing and while it feels good to give, we realize that God has clearly made us put our faith back in Him rather than on these earthly “treasures”. We’re left with very little as far as alternatives…we are FORCED to trust Him!

The thing is, my children are watching, my husband is watching and their faith is growing. If we respond to their panic with panic of our own, they will believe that God is somehow not the Provider we know Him to be. They will think He is small and in need of help. We need our children to know that even in the midst of suffering, God is GREAT and we are in the middle of His will so long as we obey! Yes! We may be without furniture and eating rice and beans for months and that may be JUST what God wants for us to do…for whatever length of time He deigns! Look at the Israelites: slaving in the Egyptian desert one day and walking out of Egypt the next day dripping in jewels! God did it then and He does it now!

God bless you!

Marla

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