The Challenge!

I just had to blog this!

God has always taken care of us. We have yet to go hungry. We've never not paid our debts -- maybe late but never missed payments.

We have certainly had our challenges in life. The week I found out I was pregnant with our first daughter, Tollie had a pay cut. We made it though it was tight for a while. About a year later, we looked into a move. Good thing because the day we flew to the interview, Tollie was let-go from his job. So....we moved 630 miles -- to the armpit of Texas. Certainly not our first choice, but home.

After being in our new home for a year or so, we were faced again with a let-go. Tollie had been told of a company move and he would move, but then after we came back from vacation, everything had changed and he would not be moving with the company. Tollie called a business acquaintance concering a possible job. He was willing to hire Tollie, in fact anxious to have him join his company, but he did not have any openings at the level Tollie was at. Tollie accepted the job anyway, knowing two things. First that any job is better than no job and secondly, it is easier to get a job if you are currently working. Tollie was called after a couple of days and asked by his new employer if he had been praying. With an emphatic "yes", he was informed that a great job opened up and it was offered to him. Tollie thankfully accepted -- giving all the thanks to God. I guess you could say it was a "God thing" as Tollie has been with the company for almost 30 years.

I could recount other stories -- like our buying a house, a dream house, that worked like it was meant to be. Or the time we were living on credit cards and decided that was not smart and melted all the cards. I was not certain how we would buy groceries the next month. Like I said -- we have never gone hungry!

So believe me, I know God takes care of us. I know He will provide our needs, even the wants at times. So it didn't seem that difficult when Mindy's boyfriend, Trent, (through Mindy) challenged me to allow God to work out the payment for my dental surgery. I had planned to put the charges on my credit card and in our talking, Mindy encouraged me to trust knowing God would provide a way. Sure, I thought! We are going on vacation and I will trust that he will find a way.

This week has not be a good week. Satan has been very active! First of all, a payment I had anticipated coming in and was going to use for vacation, has not arrived. So....savings will be pilfered for the cash for vacation. Then yesterday, I was headed downtown and as I entered the freeway, the "service engine soon" light came on and the van started running rough at the same time.

Rememeber, this is the van we are taking on vacation, in the morning! I went to the Ford dealer closest to me and they could not take it. So I travelled 20 miles to Mid-County and am sitting here now --- telling my tales. They will get to it this afternoon, so I am waiting on a ride back to my home. I figure the cost is going to be between $250 to 350$. I am guessing an oxygen sensor has gone bad.

So I am tyring to figure out where that money is coming from as well as the $950 for my dental surgery, when we return.

I have even suggested we not go on vacation! However, we are going to check on my husband's parents. This is important -- my father-in-law had brain surgery a couple of months ago. So really there is not the option of not going.

The Lord is going to have to figure all this out, as I see no way of not using the credit card. Stay tuned to find out how He works it all out!