Humility starts with hummmmmm......?

So Jon got more work, and we need to be in Niagara falls by Saturday. We waited to leave until Friday, because Friday was payday....unless the payroll office takes off for the holidays....apparently. So, now we've waited until the last minute to leave and still haven't got paid and have no money. We were going to try and make it on what we had, but very much by chance Jon's mom wanted to help us out and loaned us some money until Monday, when we should get paid. Great! We're on our way! The trailer is hooked up, everything is packed, kids are in their seat belts. We put the truck in gear, give it gas.....a little more gas......a little more gas, and it spins out. Ok, ok, ok, just a little slick on the snow. Give it gas, a little more gas, a little more gas, we spin out. That's alright we'll just put some boards under the tire. Doesn't work. Ok, we'll ask the camp owner to pull us out with his 4x4. Nope, doesn't work. He says the trailer has sunk and frozen in. Let's call a tow truck! So I get all the kids out and feed them lunch while Jon gets a tow truck guy. Guy #1, "You'll pull the trailer in half, you'll have to wait 'till spring." Guy #2 shows up, pulls us out in seconds and we ask him to wait until we get hitched up and moving. We pack up the the car with the kids, and get ready to pull the truck in to hitch it back up, give it gas, a little more gas, and little more gas.....it spins out. The tow truck guy gets behind us to give us little push. Doesn't work. "Hey!", he says, "Do you have your parking break on?"...............(long pause as reality sets in).............(longer pause to wait for subsiding laughter).

So we hitch up the trailer, give her gas, and not another problem the entire day. In the mean time it cost us $50 for this little faux pau, but of course, not all is in vain. Jon was able to minister to the tow truck guy which really hit home with him, and touched him deeply.

So now, on the road, we are talking to the kids about what God has for us today. There are no accidents and there must be a reason we are two hours late. God must have a divine appointment for us today somewhere. We also are discussing humility, and a moment in Jon's and my life comes rushing back to memory: At the beginning of this adventure, before we even got deployed the first time, Jon and I prayed. Knowing the potential of this job, and the probability of having A LOT of money coming to us very soon, we prayed. "God keep us humble. Don't let us spend the money unwisely, and help us to keep our focus on You."

Oh God!!!! I take it back!!!!

Just kidding.....but not really....

Since this job started, we have made Jon's base salary at his last job. Yes, in 6 months or less we have made a yearly salary. But in those 6 months, we have not lost our focus on God because...EVERYTHING KEEPS GOING WRONG!!!! We have managed to get rid of A LOT of debt, but we have had to replace, fix, or rethink just as much. We manage to have "just enough" each and every time. We had just enough money left over from IKE, to get us to NY, crying out the entire time for God to help us make it. We had just enough to get from Albany to Niagara Falls, the entire time crying out for God to help the gas last. I'm pretty sure we will come home in a week or two and have just enough money to keep us afloat. Not more than enough, but just enough, because we prayed for humility. My friends this is a dangerous prayer, but the fruits are innumerable.

Maybe things will get easier for us, as we get a better grasp of our finances. Maybe we will have more than enough so that we may bless others. Maybe we are destined for different things, and we will always have just enough. I don't care, as long as I'm in God's will.

We love you all, and we are quite homesick! Hope to see you soon.

Blessings,

Emily