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Topic: Download/Upload (11/17/11)
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TITLE: Everything�s Looking Up | Previous Challenge Entry
By Catherine Maher
11/30/11 -
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ADD TO MY FAVORITES
Oh good, the check is in the account and cleared, ready for distribution to all the due bills. This has been a pretty rough couple of months. To accommodate the price of skyrocketing gas, we had to tighten our budget significantly. A lot of extras are now ruled out. Like a second car, eating out, movies, trips, stopping for lunch after a day of mall shopping, and even bookstore excursions. All to be a thing of the past, at least for now. It felt as if all the fun stuff had been snatched out of our hand.
Granted, cutting back helps, but things are still getting hard to bear. Breathing room is soon to be a luxury too, I fear. If only we didn’t have a car payment. Joe travels too many miles each day for work, leaving us no choice but to provide a good, safe and dependable car for him. He’s our sole provider now and the last thing we need is for him to break down somewhere, leaving me with no car or means of rescuing him. It was a wise decision, just not a easy one.
I was able to get all the due bills paid again. That’s good, something to be thankful for. I hope gas doesn’t go too high this winter to heat this big two story house. Too bad it didn’t sell two years ago when we put it up on the market. But real estate was slow.
Now to pay our tithes. We both believe in giving to the Lord’s work. “If we are faithful with our finances, He will continue to provide for us,” I reminded myself.
“O God, if only I didn’t have to pay the last two weeks we missed services. Then I would be all caught up, in the black again. With Christmas right around the corner, and lots of grandchildren, I am wondering where the extra cash will come from."
Taking a break to refresh my mind, I grabbed a cup of coffee and my bible. Tucked inside was my daily devotion. Opening on today’s date, I began to read; “Thou, which has shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.” (Psalms 71:20-21 kjv).
The word ‘quicken’ jumped out for more attention. As I researched it’s meaning, I was transferred to a new level. My faith leapt within me. It was something tangible I could actually feel, like a skipped heartbeat or maybe a couple of extra fast beats. I turned my attention toward prayer, and as I looked up, hands extended, God imparted into my spirit new and fresh knowledge. In one instant I knew He had revived me, accelerating my own personal economy of faith. I could not accomplish this with my own abilities or strength. Like a fetus in the womb, He hastened new life in me and stimulated quick growth. I was His child, once again trusting the Father to take care of everything that concerned me.
The following verse read; “I will praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp. O thou Holy One of Israel. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul which thou hast redeemed.” My praise soared up effortlessly in thanks to Him for being there and for carrying my burdens, that on my own would have pulled me under. He downloaded all I needed for success. In return, I uploaded all my worship. We were, in one beat of the heart, reconciled.
I wiped my eyes and returned to the computer. Although the numbers were still the same, my peace was greatly increased, along with my hope, my faith, my joy and my comfort. Everything was looking up! That’s what happened the day God used quicken.
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A little read ink- capitalize the letters ID (at first I thought you were talking about the id, ego superego :) and the computer program, Quicken, should be capitalized. I wasn't sure if the second Bible verse was still in Psalms so make sure you say where it is.
All-in-all, this was a delight to read. It is so true in these times. I, too, have struggled to tithe during tight times but just last week we received a wonderful, unexpected blessing. God is good!