Mysterious Providence

It can be hard to find the right words to say when we see a fellow brother or sister in need. We frequently remark that "the Lord works in mysterious ways" whenever we encounter a problem that is too great for our own problem solving techniques. Prayer is offered vaguely, and rarely as real, tangible help, in and of itself.

We have been struggling to find the way to make ends meet recently...I will freely admit we have not been the best stewards of what the Lord has given us, and we are working to try and amend that problem...but the fact remains that our bills have exceeded our income for the last few months. As a result, new problems arise, and then we get even more worried about it.

This week, I was getting so distracted by it that I was having a hard time concentrating on much else in a spare moment. I hadn't checked our mailbox for about two weeks, because I didn't want to see the bills...a "see no evil" sort of thing...

Coincidentally, I also chose this week to start reinserting prayers into our morning routine in class, a practice that got neglected as my tunnel vision for our lesson plans forgot the importance of prayer in the morning. We have been reading from the Book of Common Prayer, and I have been teaching the kids about the value of communal prayer, and lifting each other up. In these prayers, I have actually not prayed for my own concerns (which is somewhat odd, given how much they were stressing me out...perhaps part of the denial tactic...) but have prayed strictly for others.

About mid-week, I suddenly relaxed and decided that I would pay what I could and work out how to take care of the rest as we could. We would cut out all unnecessary spending (eating out, eating gourmet, fun toys for Aiden, new clothes, etc), and do what it took to get out of the hole we had gotten ourselves in. More importantly, we would take up the practice of tithing again, something that has once again gone by the wayside because it was convenient.

I was content with this solution...it wasn't a complete answer, but I could make it work. We would focus on loving each other, and not on satisfying every want and desire with things and money.

I went to the mailbox this morning...facing the music, finally.

After fighting to get my mail out of the box for about 2 minutes (the postman must be a genius...I have no idea how he got it all in there...) I got it home and started sorting.

One imediately caught my attention...in the envelope window it said "Pay to the Order of Christopher Leigh..."

We received a notice a few weeks ago that our house had recently decreased in value from the time that we had purchased it (to roughly exactly what we had paid for it, so that was fine...). I didn't think much of it at the time, but apparently we had paid taxes on the house when its value was higher.

The envelope contained a refund for the extra taxes we had paid, essentially exactly what I have reasoned out that we needed to put ourselves out of the trouble that we had gotten into.

Not saying that every time you have a need you'll get a letter with a windfall (although this has been our experience...), but I do want to point out the overwhelming provision and grace for those that turn to the Lord in their need. I had already received what I consider to be an answer to my problem...I had peace, and a plan, which is what I had so desperately needed. This last is wonderful, and unlooked for...and more than what I had even thought to ask for. The mysterious providence of our Lord really does challenge all of our preconceived notions of the nature of things.