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Listen while you read: "Can A Little Child Like Me"1
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As our family grew many years ago, we contemplated adding onto our house. This meant borrowing money, but my father denied the loan that we requested of him. We went ahead anyway. After all, my husband's teaching job had security, we reasoned. The construction was going great, and we were pleased with the workmanship of our carpenter friend.
Then, we got the first bill — four times as much as we had expected! Terry told the carpenter that we couldn't continue with the construction. Our friend packed up his tools, and the project was put on hold. Month by month, we used a great chunk of our income to pay off the bill. Thus began a time of belt-tightening and living more frugally. No more careless spending. No more going out to eat, just because I didn't feel like cooking. No more store-bought cookies or other random treats. I became skilled in resourcefulness: baking my own bread, making my own yogurt, growing my own sprouts, and making delicious soups from leftovers, all made possible because I was a stay-at-home mum, before I taught full time.
Our focus began to shift when we decided to put our trust, not in our income, but in God. We began tithing, knowing that it was a biblically sound practice. That was a painful, but necessary step in the midst of our hardship. God did not abandon us. Our three boys, ages seven, four, and two, were satisfied with what they had. They still had toys, and their riding toys were made operational again with someone else's cast-off wheels. They had friends.
I was grateful for two babysitting jobs that just fell into my lap. Usually, we solved our sitter needs by trading children, but in these situations, the single mums were subsidized for childcare. One little boy, Caleb, around the same age as our middle child, fitted seamlessly into our day. He would come in the late afternoon and have supper with us, forcing me to stay organized. At bedtime, Caleb went to sleep along with our boys. After her evening shift at the local Mexican restaurant, Caleb's mum picked him up, sleeping bag and all, laid him in the car, and took him home.
Eventually our bill was paid off, and the house renovations were completed. The Lord did not fail us.
Hebrews 13:5-6a,8 – Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you." So we can say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear." Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (NLT)
God never changes. He accompanies us through the difficult times, as well as through the good ones. God's methods of looking after His people may change, but He does not.
During this Thanksgiving season, let us remember this awesome truth, with gratitude.
Prayer: Thank You, Lord, that You do not change. Help us to be grateful for what we have. Thank You that we can put our trust in Your care and that You will help us. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
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About the author:
Alice Burnett <terrencera.burnett@gmail.com>
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
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So true, Alice.
Great post and reminder, Alice! Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you for sharing this encouraging devotional with us today.
Blessings.
Amen Alice. I have always found it amazing how much we can really do without yet be totally content! God is good.
What a beautiful testimony, Alice, of God proving his love for you and your family. I rejoice with thanksgiving – along with you.
Very good and needed devotion. I see so many who want instant gratification and are never content. Happy Thanksgiving there in Canada. Thanks for sharing.
Dear Alice,
Thank you so much for your Thanksgiving message today. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Thanks, Alice, for this and all your great devotionals. Much appreciated. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
God bless you.
Thanks, Alice, for another of your special devotionals and good to hear that you and the family got safely and positively through the situation you faced back in the early days of raising your children. The Lord truly surprises us in a variety of ways when we trust in Him to help us through life happenings. Blessings for this writing.
Good morning, Alice,
I really enjoyed your story of how your family started to put your trust in God. Definitely a great message for us all to be grateful for what we have knowing that God is with us.
I enjoyed it when you pointed out that your sons had friends and that was important. Thanks for sharing. Blessings.
Good Morning, Alice!
Your devotion today is a timely one, as I prepare to read the scripture 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 at our church this morning. Your words have provided an extra commentary in helping me fully understand Paul’s words to the people of Corinth, and to the people of our congregation. Thank you, and Happy, Blessed Thanksgiving!
(ON)
Hi Alice. Love your devotionals and your Lord.
We moved our five little ones into an old Victorian. Lots of room, but done up in the style of “early depression” so we could afford it. Pretty bad. 30 years down the line we had worked on it when we could and started reno in earnest. When I retired, we were able to open a bnb (bed and breakfast)!!!! We would love to host you (no charge of course), if you ever happen to be in the area.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Hi Alice,
Your devotional today reminds me of the four years when Wally decided to return to school to earn his PhD. Never occurred to us to borrow any money. We just did with what we had and somehow it worked. During that time it also never occurred to us that the Lord through the church would not receive any money just because we did not have much. God and hard work sustained us as was the situation with you and Terry. (Our children were 3 months and two and at that time there were not the childcare options that there are today.). Those four years did not hurt us at all!
Thanks, as always, for writing.
Thank you, Alice. Isn’t it great to look back on our lives and see how God took care of us, even when we weren’t sure?