The H family's streak of terrible horrible no good very bad days actually started after reading another book c/o Sievers CPA (thanks, Mary!). :) We had always loosely followed many Dave Ramsey principles but after reading The Total Money Makeover we decided to get a little more serious about it. We started in on the baby steps and wanted to pay off our car. (Maybe I should just start a whole separate post about our financial peace journey and how we gave ourselves the 'stupid tax' by going from no car payment to a big car payment... yeah I'll save that post for another day!) Against our gut, we followed the plan of getting the personal savings account down to $1000 and putting the rest towards our stupid tax.
You can see where this is going, right?
Insert the start of the no good very bad days.
-Crashed hard drive: $2700 (I was able to get a large discount so thankfully it didn't end up being quite that much... again another post for another time..)
-R's iPhone is broken by a student: $80
-Fender bender in the car: TBD (ouch)
-H's iPhone is dropped in a pot of water by the one year old: TBD (I'm still praying the standby rice trick works!)
Add a few more unexpected expenses, unresolved arguments with people you love, a deadline closing in fast, the crazy busy season that is basketball, friends hurting, cancer attacking people you love, and yada yada yada and well.... you have a terrible horrible no good very.... blessed day.
Yep. Blessed.
It's taken me a few days (weeks?) to remember but that's probably because the devil is actually pretty good at his job. Have you ever had an experience where you're working towards obedience and the devil takes hold and works hard to discourage you? Have you ever been under so much spiritual attack that you don't recognize it for what it is and start your pity party for your series of terrible horrible no good very bad days?
Yeah... There might have been just a little of that going on in the H house.
'The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.' -John 10:10
Once I recognized it for what it was, it was easy for me to recognize I had been seeking shelter in the wrong places.
'He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust." For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions and under His wings you will find refuge. His faithfulness is a shield. You will not fear.' -Psalm 91.1-16
'Refuge.' Ahhhh that feels nice.
And the view from this shelter? It's looking a lot more blessed than terrible horrible no good or very bad. Yes, it's looking blessed indeed.
