Four years ago today my life took a radical turn when I married my wonderful wife Dale. She’s such an amazing woman.
Actually my life took that radical turn only six weeks earlier when I met her for the first time. Yep, a brief six week, long distance romance for two people living in different states, yet with one heart. Two people with strong personalities and multiple failed relationships behind them, marrying someone they barely knew, what could possibly go wrong here?
The story really gets to rolling when I quit my job in my hometown of Knoxville and moved to Alabama to live in in the smallest town I’ve ever lived, all to marry a woman I had only known for six weeks, and had only been face to face with a total of four days. This blissful union took place at a time when our country’s economic situation had just hit rock bottom. We were in the deepest recession since the Great Depression of the 1930's, thus making my search for a new job nearly futile. The projected future was bleak according to all experts, but that didn’t stop us. As I’ve stated before, my friend Ken Morrow’s insight gave me the courage to say four years ago, as far as this economic recession is concerned, we simply choose not to participate.
Our new marriage was birthed as I went nine months without a job, and Dale had to take off work for five months after donating a kidney to a friend. Not the smoothest of transitions to say the least. Trust me when I tell you, there are stress indicators and red flags everywhere you turn in our story. No one would have looked at the big picture of things and then concluded this situation would result in a success story. No one that is other than God and us, and to be quite honest I’m not sure we completely believed it at times. At least I know I sometimes questioned whether or not I was correctly interpreting what God was doing.
After 160 resumes, numerous applications and job interviews all resulting in no offers, God provided a way for us to open up two small businesses, (and just at the right time I might add) as Dale ended up breaking her back in multiple places and had to take off work for another seven month stint. God’s timing is always amazingly accurate and never by coincidence though. The new businesses became our only source of income for awhile as we moved into the second year of our marriage hanging on literally by a financial thread, and God's will.
He had a plan though! Early on in our relationship we both made a commitment to serve God by serving others, out of all we have, not just out of our excess. We began after the kidney transplant by seasonally serving the elderly at the nursing home across our street, as well as working with some non-profit organizations in whatever capacity we were needed. As we gave, God provided, and as He provided we gave - there was never a lacking in the needs of our community, nor the gifts He provided.
Now all that didn’t change the fact we live in a world where everyone has financial obligations. At different times things got scarcely thin in the ole bank accounts, and even as recent as a month or two ago we were facing the realization that we may have to close up our office, retreat back into our home or garage simply to sustain our businesses. The notion that I may need to go back to work for someone else has come up several times. To be honest, I’ve prayed for His guidance more in the past four years than all my 54 years combined, a lesson He has tried to teach me for so many years.
Amazingly enough last summer He also provided a way for Dale to retire from a job she could no longer physically do, even though it meant sacrificing a good portion of our income as well as adding additional expenses to our plate to pay for our health and life insurance out of pocket. It’s not been easy by any stretch of the imagination, but it sure has been rewarding to see how God works through those that may not have much, but are willing to give it all to Him. In an economic time of distress, in a relationship time of learning about each other, in a personal time of uncertainty God has provided and we’ve learned to merely let it flow through our hands to those He intends for it to go. I could go on and on with details about the trials and circumstances we’ve faced the last four years, but that’s not what our story is about.
Despite what has appeared on the surface at times to be a terrible financial situation, I can proudly say that in the past four years we've never once failed to pay a single bill on time, we've never missed a meal or gone hungry (although I obviously need to sometimes) nor have we failed to find resources for every single person that has come to us for help. I tell you all this as a praise report as to what God has done the past four years, (and not to bring attention to ourselves) we have been blessed to give away tens of thousands of dollars via cash, automobiles, food, clothing, shopping trips, payment of utility bills, providing housing, etc, etc, to the people in our community, and to those we knew had special needs. One couple, with very modest means, but hearts to give - that sums up the last four years for us. I know this pales in comparison to what many others have done the past four years to help those in need, but I know what we've given away has come from of our hearts and not just from our pocketbook and we’ll continue to do so until He calls us home.
Right now our relationship with each other is the best it’s ever been, (a praise report in and of itself for I know I'm a tough person to live with) and although we still have a long ways to go, we’re steadily growing as a couple and individually. God's obviously not done with us yet. We've got four years behind us now. Four years of witnessing God’s amazing love and grace. Four years of learning to trust only in Him. Four years of seeing Him come through each and every time there has been a need. The real truth is, we have no more money in the bank right now than we did four years ago, but we know through God’s promises we have a lot of treasures stored away for the future. We’re excited to see what God has in store for us the next four days, the next four months, the next four years.
And here’s the lesson I’m trying to share through all of this; if you truly want to see what God can do through you, don’t wait until you win the lottery or He puts you in what you believe is the perfect situation. Don't wait until all your bills are paid and you're sitting at the end of Easy Street. Give now - give from what He’s already given you - give away what is His to begin with. “Give to receive, in order to give again” someone once said. Dale and I can both attest to the fact that your heart will be satisfied by doing so. And although this blog post has mostly been about monetary issues, the blessings we've received from God have been much, much more.
Four years and we're still counting God's blessings………doug
Actually my life took that radical turn only six weeks earlier when I met her for the first time. Yep, a brief six week, long distance romance for two people living in different states, yet with one heart. Two people with strong personalities and multiple failed relationships behind them, marrying someone they barely knew, what could possibly go wrong here?
The story really gets to rolling when I quit my job in my hometown of Knoxville and moved to Alabama to live in in the smallest town I’ve ever lived, all to marry a woman I had only known for six weeks, and had only been face to face with a total of four days. This blissful union took place at a time when our country’s economic situation had just hit rock bottom. We were in the deepest recession since the Great Depression of the 1930's, thus making my search for a new job nearly futile. The projected future was bleak according to all experts, but that didn’t stop us. As I’ve stated before, my friend Ken Morrow’s insight gave me the courage to say four years ago, as far as this economic recession is concerned, we simply choose not to participate.
Our new marriage was birthed as I went nine months without a job, and Dale had to take off work for five months after donating a kidney to a friend. Not the smoothest of transitions to say the least. Trust me when I tell you, there are stress indicators and red flags everywhere you turn in our story. No one would have looked at the big picture of things and then concluded this situation would result in a success story. No one that is other than God and us, and to be quite honest I’m not sure we completely believed it at times. At least I know I sometimes questioned whether or not I was correctly interpreting what God was doing.
After 160 resumes, numerous applications and job interviews all resulting in no offers, God provided a way for us to open up two small businesses, (and just at the right time I might add) as Dale ended up breaking her back in multiple places and had to take off work for another seven month stint. God’s timing is always amazingly accurate and never by coincidence though. The new businesses became our only source of income for awhile as we moved into the second year of our marriage hanging on literally by a financial thread, and God's will.
He had a plan though! Early on in our relationship we both made a commitment to serve God by serving others, out of all we have, not just out of our excess. We began after the kidney transplant by seasonally serving the elderly at the nursing home across our street, as well as working with some non-profit organizations in whatever capacity we were needed. As we gave, God provided, and as He provided we gave - there was never a lacking in the needs of our community, nor the gifts He provided.
Now all that didn’t change the fact we live in a world where everyone has financial obligations. At different times things got scarcely thin in the ole bank accounts, and even as recent as a month or two ago we were facing the realization that we may have to close up our office, retreat back into our home or garage simply to sustain our businesses. The notion that I may need to go back to work for someone else has come up several times. To be honest, I’ve prayed for His guidance more in the past four years than all my 54 years combined, a lesson He has tried to teach me for so many years.
Amazingly enough last summer He also provided a way for Dale to retire from a job she could no longer physically do, even though it meant sacrificing a good portion of our income as well as adding additional expenses to our plate to pay for our health and life insurance out of pocket. It’s not been easy by any stretch of the imagination, but it sure has been rewarding to see how God works through those that may not have much, but are willing to give it all to Him. In an economic time of distress, in a relationship time of learning about each other, in a personal time of uncertainty God has provided and we’ve learned to merely let it flow through our hands to those He intends for it to go. I could go on and on with details about the trials and circumstances we’ve faced the last four years, but that’s not what our story is about.
Despite what has appeared on the surface at times to be a terrible financial situation, I can proudly say that in the past four years we've never once failed to pay a single bill on time, we've never missed a meal or gone hungry (although I obviously need to sometimes) nor have we failed to find resources for every single person that has come to us for help. I tell you all this as a praise report as to what God has done the past four years, (and not to bring attention to ourselves) we have been blessed to give away tens of thousands of dollars via cash, automobiles, food, clothing, shopping trips, payment of utility bills, providing housing, etc, etc, to the people in our community, and to those we knew had special needs. One couple, with very modest means, but hearts to give - that sums up the last four years for us. I know this pales in comparison to what many others have done the past four years to help those in need, but I know what we've given away has come from of our hearts and not just from our pocketbook and we’ll continue to do so until He calls us home.
Right now our relationship with each other is the best it’s ever been, (a praise report in and of itself for I know I'm a tough person to live with) and although we still have a long ways to go, we’re steadily growing as a couple and individually. God's obviously not done with us yet. We've got four years behind us now. Four years of witnessing God’s amazing love and grace. Four years of learning to trust only in Him. Four years of seeing Him come through each and every time there has been a need. The real truth is, we have no more money in the bank right now than we did four years ago, but we know through God’s promises we have a lot of treasures stored away for the future. We’re excited to see what God has in store for us the next four days, the next four months, the next four years.
And here’s the lesson I’m trying to share through all of this; if you truly want to see what God can do through you, don’t wait until you win the lottery or He puts you in what you believe is the perfect situation. Don't wait until all your bills are paid and you're sitting at the end of Easy Street. Give now - give from what He’s already given you - give away what is His to begin with. “Give to receive, in order to give again” someone once said. Dale and I can both attest to the fact that your heart will be satisfied by doing so. And although this blog post has mostly been about monetary issues, the blessings we've received from God have been much, much more.
Four years and we're still counting God's blessings………doug
