Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Escape (01/02/06)
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TITLE: Escape From Bondage | Previous Challenge Entry
By Patrick Verbeten
01/09/06 -
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Papaw (or Granddaddy) found himself in this situation. As a sharecropper, the work was hard, but it was honest. Still, he was scarcely able to provide for his growing family. Often the kids had no shoes and had to work long hours in the field with him to make ends meet. Mamaw (Grandma) tended a little garden near the house and a few chickens, so food was not a problem. Still, this survival mode kept Papaw from what he considered to be the higher calling on his life, to become a preacher.
So a decision was made. Regardless of the cost, the family would find a way to escape the bondage that had a stranglehold on their future. All charges at the plantation store would stop. That meant going without many things they considered necessities including shoes, cloth, sugar and other staples. Only the most-needed agriculture supply was bought - seed for their cash crop of cotton. Seeds for the garden were saved or traded with the neighbors. It was a grueling year, one with many a harsh word between Mamaw and Papaw behind closed doors. But Papaw was resolute, and that resolve paid off. At harvest time he had a bountiful crop sufficient to give the landlord his portion and have enough to pay off his debt at the store.
Without debt, they were able to relocate to an academy in Northwest Mississippi so Papaw could get his high school diploma. Upon completion he became the school’s administrator and before too long began to preach. Eventually they realized the family dream and he became a full-time preacher.
Today we do not have sharecroppers, but we do have debt that is keeping many of us from realizing our dreams and callings. Escaping this bondage is no different from Papaw’s departure from sharecropping. First and foremost we must see what debt is doing to our dreams, hopes and aspirations. It should make us mad - mad enough to be as steadfast as Papaw and Mamaw were. Next we need to develop a plan to pay off debt and not return to this bondage. Sometimes that requires help. If you need support, get it. Two excellent sources for advice are www.daveramsey.com and www.crown.org. Dave Ramsey tends to give more-so secular advice, but is a hard-liner when it comes to debt. Crown Financial Ministries is clearly Christian, but takes a softer stand on debt. Each may have help in your community.
Both financial gurus tell us that the best way to overcome debt is to use a budget. Budgets cause people to run in the opposite direction, but they do not have to. Instead of looking at a budget as a prison to keep you from your cash, look at it instead as a plan to free you from cancerous debt. A well-planned budget will take the money you do have and let you do with it what you truly want and need to do, and not what is screaming the loudest to be done. It will give you a positive plan of action to navigate through problematic situations. One component that will help your budget succeed is to set money aside each month for emergencies. Then, when those pesky little problems of life enter, you will be ready to answer to their demand. Additionally, you may find it advantageous to go on a cash-only basis. Financial experts tell us that we spend the least when we use cash.
With faithfulness to your plan, one day you too can join Papaw and Mamaw and realize your dreams.
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The story of Papaw and Mamaw was inspirational! Thank you for sharing!