As my readers know, this past year has not been without financial struggles. Admitting to friends and family just how bad my financial situation is has been incredibly humbling. You are talking an educated woman who basically found herself with zero savings and retirement at the age of 53. I will be the first to say, "not cool."
I have worked very hard just to stay afloat. Yet, despite my troubles, I have always believed that God would provide for me and that I had to lean on Him for my provision. Each and every time I have faced a struggle, that has proven true. But, it has also required planning on my part -- setting goals -- and going after them. In short, living an Oola life, which includes being grateful for all things; the good and bad. And so, it is with a grateful heart that I write this blog because today, He gave me my life back; I have hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Amen!
One of the biggest stumbling blocks since the divorce has been my struggle with student loans. I have a mountain of them. Yes, I have my education and no one can ever take that away from me. Yet, many times I have questioned my decision to go back to school so late in life. Still, I knew that God wanted me in this profession and working with these very special children; it is my ministry. And so, although struggling and working 2-3 jobs, I have managed to stay afloat. Nothing extra but always enough. And for that, I have been ever grateful to God.
About a month ago, I heard of a seminar being held at the Nevada State Educators Association that talked about loan forgiveness for educators. I had heard about it, and in fact, had looked up the information on my own. I had the paperwork in my purse to apply when I called to reserve a seat to this seminar. It was not held by the NSEA but was presented by two gentlemen who worked in the financial services field. Yet, one was clearly knowledgeable in the area of student loans. After the seminar, they offered to meet individually to see if you had the type of loans that qualified. Obviously, I made the appointment. Today, I finally met with the young man -- another of God's angels; it was a life-changing experience!
Not only do my loans qualify (and it is truly a significant amount of debt that will be forgiven) due to the fact that I am a public servant but also, my loan payments will be reduced until the loans are forgiven. But the real beauty of this? I will have enough money at the end of the day to begin really saving for my retirement.
Now, some would say, "Well gee, any public servant can get the loan forgiveness...what makes you think it's all about God that made it happen?" Here's how I see it. First of all, from what I hear, most people who are in debt the way I am, turn a blind eye. They are so overwhelmed they do not even know where to begin. I, on the other hand, have chosen to resolve this issue the best way that I can. It has taken a lot of work -- over a year now -- to try and sort this out. This did not happen simply because of my wherewithal alone. Frankly, there were times of much despair and anguish. Yet, I knew -- yes, knew in my heart that God would help me with this. I had that very expectation. Why? Because He has been my provision this entire time! He has sent angels my way over and over again; ordinary people who either could pray for me, with me, or have the knowledge to help me move forward. Despite having moments of very little, if any, money in my checking account, I have continued to tithe as much as I could. I am not up to 10% yet, but still working to get there. I also try to serve others as much as I can to make up for the shortfall.
Additionally, God's promises are not empty. Read Jeremiah 29:11 again. Those words are from God. We cannot always depend on man but we can always depend on God.
Lastly, I have always known that although debt-laden, there is more to life than money. Money does not buy happiness. However, you have to move beyond mere happiness to joy. Joy is so much more powerful than happiness. Think of happiness as superficial, whereas joy is deep. It comes from inside yourself and resides in your very spirit. It's given to you by your Creator. It's the kind of joy you have despite your circumstances; good or bad. The joy I'm talking about doesn't come from going to the mall but from knowing Him.
How do you acquire this kind of joy? Read the Bible or a daily devotional. Attend a worship service. Go out and have some fun with Christian friends. Pray. Look at the sunset over the mountains or sit on your patio with a cup of coffee and smell the fresh-cut grass. Walk barefoot in the grass and feel the morning dew on your feet. Sing a song praising God at the top of your lungs or listen to the cicadas sing their song. Hug your kids, your spouse, your significant other, your best friend. God is not just in a church -- He is everywhere! Believe me, He is waiting for you to reach out to him -- but you have to also be listening with your heart, for He is reaching out to you.
So, as I work toward balancing my Oola life and in particular, on my finances this year, I realize that I am making strides. Today was a huge victory -- not just for me but for God. He has shown me to continue to not just rely on His provision but to continue to take the necessary steps in order to meet my goal of being debt-free.
I want to take a moment and encourage those that are struggling. I know what you are going through. It is not easy. Yet, we can allow our journey in life to make us stronger or break us. It is a choice. I have chosen to be strong. To be victorious. To allow Him to work in me and through me. Make a positive choice and hold your head up. Success isn't measured by the size of your wallet but by the size of your heart. I think that's something we can all agree on.
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