Tough Times

I have to take a break from remembering this past basketball season to remembering some life lived.

Self-employment in this economy is tough. I remember hearing last year on the news how bad our economy was, and how many jobs were being lost, and how people were losing their homes, etc. and I thought, "God, you are blessing us, and sheltering us from this. Thank you that we aren't experiencing this slow economy."

I also remember God telling me, again, that I'm not dependent on this economy. I am, and always have been, dependent on Him.

As things tend to do, the "tough economic times" finally filtered its way to Small Town USA, and hit our home.

I've gone through each phase: "God will provide, I can do this" to "Ok, this is tighter than I thought it'd be" to "God! What are You doing??" to "God? Why me? What have I done to You?" to "Yes! Enough to pay the light bill!" and right back to "God? Why me? What have I done to You?"

Through it all, God has most certainly provided and hopefully I've matured. (Good grief, I hope I've matured!) I cannot tell you the number of people that decided they wanted to get together and feed us a meal, or just bring us milk and bread, or hand us gift cards to buy what we needed at the time. We have not gone without something to eat, or light, or water, or even chocolate. Thank You, Lord, for that! :)

This past month, though, it seems as if God just wanted to show out a bit. I felt like I was drowning. But He has given new breath to me. He has taken away some burdens that were heavy; they felt like mud weighing my legs down so that the next step was barely obtainable.

I give Him glory.

I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.
Psalm 37:25 (New International Version)