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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL (don't write about the song) (04/02/15)
“How do you do it, he asked? How do you keep such a good attitude while dealing with the conditions we are living in? Any other woman would have left me long ago instead of putting up with this.”

It all started when our automotive business began to slow down and the overheard costs continually went up. We managed to keep the business going, but fell short on the rent payments of our home.

One day the landlord told us, we had three days to vacate. Since we owned a very big building for our automotive business, we decided to move all our belongings into the shop. We stayed with a very good friend while we began construction of our new living quarters in the far end of the building. Thankfully, with the help of some wonderful Christian carpenters, we then had a bedroom and a living room to live in.

Times were still very hard, so we didn’t have the funds to finish the kitchen and bathroom. Instead, we utilized the shop bathroom at the other end of the building. We set up a makeshift kitchen in the middle of the third bay of the garage.

Although we were nice and cozy in the two finished rooms, the makeshift kitchen was very cold in the winter. We had little money left to heat the rest of the building, heating it just enough to keep it from freezing the water pipes.

It was not easy to cook our food or do the dishes. I bundled up in a heavy housecoat and then put another coat over that while I fried eggs for breakfast in 40-degree temperatures. Sometimes I would heat the plates over the frying pan so the eggs would not cool to fast before we could eat them. Rushing the meal to a small table we had set up in our living room, we ate in a comfortably heated room. Many of our other meals I put in the oven so I didn’t have to stand in the cold cooking. I told my husband it is like camping out every day, only I never did like camping.

These conditions are what really brought emotional pain to my husband. He felt so bad that he was putting his wife through this, just because of his dream of owning his own shop. Now we were in a situation where we knew no way out but to deal with what we had. We made a promise to God to never borrow another dollar or ever have any kind of credit again. Everything from now on we would be pay for in cash.

We both decided to get outside jobs to supplement the business income. Finally, bills were being paid off and savings kept mounting up. After three years, we were ready to start building our kitchen and bathroom. The future was looking bright!

So, how do I deal with this? I told my husband, “We are in this together.” We both made the decision to follow his dream. We both made mistakes that brought us into a financially bad situation. We will both trust God to help us through. I have plenty of food on the table, I have a warm place to relax and sleep. I have a wonderful husband who loves me with all his heart, and I have the Lord to love me and strengthen me every day. What more do I need? Life is good!
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This article has been read 571 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Milly Born
04/10/15
A good story about sticking together as a couple, no matter what. My favorite sentence: "I told my husband it is like camping out every day, only I never did like camping." That's real love...:)

To make your article more lively, you could consider adding some dialogue. And, by the way, I recommend you check out Jan's lesson on punctuating dialogue here http://www.faithwriters.com/Boards/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=67&t=38196.

Keep sharing, keep writing!
Verna Cole Mitchell 
04/10/15
This was a good testimony to married love as God intended it to be.
Lollie Hofer 
04/10/15
I could so totally relate to this story. We too own an auto repair shop. We know what it is to be abased and also to abound. In all of it the Lord has been faithful to take care of us. Thanks for the reminder to stand by my Lord and my man in the good times as well as the not so good times. Blessings to you.
Katherine (Kat) Kane
04/11/15
I love the way that you show that even in the most difficult situations, it's possible to still praise and trust, and for all to be well with your soul. I also love the positive message about unity in marriage. It's so true - united, we stand; divided, we fall. Excellent piece!
Margaret Kearley
04/11/15
What a wonderful encouraging piece. Thank you for sharing this great testimony of the keeping power and grace of a wonderful God.
Linda Crowley
04/11/15
We aren't living in the back of a shop, but I can definitely relate to the "Like camping every day." There was a lot of telling not showing. Could you do something like "Good, you're back from the bank. Did you get he electric bill paid?" I asked as I warmed the plate over the stove before putting on the eggs and fried potatoes. Taking up my own plate, we hurried through the cold shop into our sanctuary.
Catherine Craig
04/13/15
I once knew a gal who birthed 5 kids in the garage 3 room makeshift while her husband built their house. This story is in that vein and shows such courage! Nicely told...
Jan Ackerson
04/13/15
You did an excellent job of appealing to your readers' senses in order to make your living conditions very real.

I found a tiny error in the first sentence that you might want to take care of, if you ever look to have this piece published. You have this:

How do you do it, he asked? How do you keep such a good attitude while dealing with the conditions we are living in? Any other woman would have left me long ago instead of putting up with this.

But the first sentence should read:

"How do you do it?" he asked. "How do you..." You can see that the question mark goes with the actual question, not with the dialogue tag.

This entry fit the "one topic criterion very well, and it was an inspiring read.
C D Swanson 
04/13/15
Excellent, uplifting, powerful and a joy to read!

Well done.

God bless~
Ellen Carr 
04/15/15
A most encouraging story to read. I am assuming that it is your own true story and that you have gone through all this. Like others, I think a bit of dialogue would enhance what it already a good piece of writing.
Lois Lewis 
04/16/15
Your title drew me in, and provided a great message for your story. I enjoyed the fact that your MC didn't throw in the towel when things got tough. We need more of that in today's world. Thanks for all your hard work, and best of luck in the Challenge!