Money Talk

I had a different post in mind today but then something happened that I wanted to share. I had a Dr's appointment today and when I arrived I was informed that my appointment had been canceled and they tried to reschedule but didn't have a phone number on file for me (odd since I've been a patient for three years). With the canceled appointment, I had some spare time on my hands before I was due at a friend's house to watch her kiddos. I decided to hit the gas station and run a few errands I had been planning to do this evening.

I pulled into the gas station and flipped open the compartment under the CD player (which is where the in-car lighter is) to get my bonus points card out. And much to my surprise, I found a $20 bill in there!

Ain't nothin' better than finding money when and where you least expect it ... even though it was in my car, meaning that it was likely originally my (lost) money. Meh, who cares where it came from ... I felt as though Christmas came early this year!

But then, after leaving the grocery store and pondering the mystery money, I realized that Christmas had not come early this year, but that there was a little more to this story. Money management/stress is one of my biggest struggles. I am a worry wort, a planner and a control freak and have often let financial issues get the best of me.

Today I am reminded of the need to have more faith in God's provision in my life. I am such an organizer and planner that I feel the need to control every ounce of our spending. And while I do strongly believe that budgeting is important and necessary, there does come a point when my budgeting gets the best of me and I begin to question God. Will there be enough for groceries this month? Are we saving enough to achieve our goals? How will we afford the car repair?

Admist those questions, I know that in any and every financial situation we've faced, God has provided for us. In fact, daily, He provides more than enough. As an example, I've recently been trying out a cash budgeting system. I'm doing a trial run to see how it goes. Earlier this week when we went grocery shopping, I was carrying with me the very last of our July grocery money. I am usually pretty good at keeping a running cart total in my head but at some point during our trip, I lost track. When we got to the check out, I put my items on the conveyor belt in the order of importance so I could watch the total and put a few things back if necessary. When the cashier was finished ringing through all of my items, I was literally left with ONE penny to spare. Coincidence? I think not.

I believe that this $20 bill and exactly perfect grocery store total can be seen as reminders of whose money it really is and who is in control.