There was a time, 28 years ago, when the only way we could buy diapers and baby food (and still have what we wanted in life) was on a credit card, which quickly became several credit cards. Quickly we found ourselves living paycheck to paycheck, and being sucked down farther into a dark financial pit…. for YEARS! And those 25 years later, between raising the boys, lofty student loans, failed pyramid investments, we were bound in chains of years of debt.
Then my husband prayed. He prayed for us to find some footing to climb our way out of that dark pit. He prayed for me to walk alongside him and be willing to make sacrifices. At first, and for quite a while, I was angry. Not envisioning the picture of freedom that he was seeing. I was angry when we couldn’t go to dinner or a movie or a concert with our friends. I was angry when I couldn’t buy things for my friends, my family, the boys, or myself. Every sacrifice made me feel imprisoned even more.
But through much diligence on the part of my husband – his determination and grit – he slowly convinced me that a miracle could happen. We “suffered ” in our 1st world sacrifices. I resented the fact that we couldn’t eat out and have fun like “normal” people.
When we started this journey, he posted on the frig, “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and it adds no sorrow with it” from Proverbs 10:22. Adding below, “Debt and payments are sorrowful”. Every time I read that, a spring of contention rose up in me for both Jacob and Dave Ramsey. They both kept reminding me that, “if you will live like no one else now, you can live like no one else later.” I’ve never in my life had to dig so deep to find patience and grace. But with Jacob’s steadfast heart and deep desire to pull us out of our pit to be able to walk in the light and be put in a position to truly help others around us, he did it. Ok, WE did it. As I stomped and kicked against the pricks the whole way. And now, 2 years after we pressed “send” on that credit card app together and paid off our final debt, we are blessed beyond measure that we can bless others. We look back and see that God never failed to give us the tools we needed. All we had to do was step that first step out in faith. His grace and mercy carried us through. All to show us a brilliant freedom from worldly worries, and lead us to share His love to those around us.
I am thankful for Jacob’s determination and for God’s gentle – guiding nudges as we travelled that uncomfortable road that has led us to the comfort of financial freedom
