My family surprised me with a weekend getaway for my birthday earlier this month. It was so much fun. They planned the trip and then about a week or two before, they told me about it so I could work out final details.
I was shocked when I discovered they’d been consorting. I was also humbled by it…but also, I felt the weight of worrying about money.
I hate worrying about money.
I am in a long-lesson season of learning how to really be at peace with our financial situation, no matter what.
We’ve had such a long road with these lessons as a married couple and as a family.
But it’s been so good.
I wouldn’t change it for a thing, at this point.
The gains far outweigh the sacrifices.
I don’t really know anyone, firsthand, that lives at peace with finances. Not one. But I’m determined to allow God to root us in these lessons and hopefully lead our children toward far more freedom in this than we had to start out with…I want to leave a legacy of allowing our security to come from God. Whether relational, financial, or otherwise.
God is everything.
Our Source.
Our Creator.
Our Father.
And as such, we can trust Him even while enduring hard lessons.
This birthday was a lesson.
I had to let go and invite God to cover everything my family had on their hearts to do. My one takeaway is it was totally worth it. I laid aside all the concern and just lived.
This birthday ended up being the best one I’ve ever had. That was partly due to the fact that my family thought about it and decided to bless me and partly due to me allowing God to do the same.
Again, we choose whether to be blessed or not. This theme keeps creeping back into devotionals, so I know He’s really trying to get the point across.
We have to be willing to let go. Cease control. Let God rule and reign in our lives.
But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Submit Yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:6-10
365 Days in the Presence 