Providing for a Want
Today God answered one of my whiney prayers. It wasn’t even a prayer really; it was more like a plan that didn’t work out so I whined about it to God as if He hadn’t come through as promised. Yet He still answered it.
Here is the story:
We received a nice tax refund and immediately started budgeting how we would spend it. One thing that topped my list was getting the piano tuned. I won’t even say how long it has been since we called the tuner. (Hint: Nathan, who is now eight, spent most of the appointment slamming the lid of his toy box because he had just discovered that if he lifted it and let go it made a really cool sound.) Instead most of the refund went toward an unusually large gas bill, Norm’s sleep apnea machine, renewing car registration, and bills. The only item that got covered from my list was Nathan’s book fee for school. I was beyond bummed. In fact, I was mad. I felt like I had mapped out a reasonable plan for using that money wisely and it was getting sucked away!
I knew that I should be praising God that the money was there to suck away. How else would we have covered registration or that horrendous gas bill? God provided us with some new living room furniture through my parents, which we hadn’t asked for or expected. Why couldn’t I be satisfied with that? I could still afford to get the piano tuned if I really wanted to. We still had some of that refund.
Then I started getting less freelance work, threatening the last chunk of precious tax return money. On top of that life started getting hard—again. Suddenly getting the piano tuned seemed like the least of my worries.
Fast forward to this morning, when I sat paying bills and feeling needy for a little reminder that God had his eye on us (as if sending a check just in time to cover the bills I was paying wasn’t enough). The phone rang. It was the piano tuner from an embarrassingly high number of years ago! I explained to her that money (or lack of) had prevented us from calling on her. We talked about the economy and how quickly medical bills can send you to the poor house and the joys and frustrations of being in business for yourself. She clearly understood my situation—so much so that she offered me a deal and God immediately revealed how I would cover the cost. I have some birthday money stashed away that I never spent because I wasn’t sure what I wanted. Well, now I know! I’m getting the piano tuned! And I have just enough!
To some this might seem like a little thing but it was huge to me. As soon as I got off the phone I told my sons, “Well, God just answered one of my whiney prayers. He provided something that I didn’t need but really wanted.” I explained what happened then admitting that I need these little gifts from God sometimes, as a reminder that if He can cover something that I can get by without than He will certainly provide for what we need to survive. He knew I needed a reminder of His love today (I didn’t tell the boys that part—they would have considered it too girly) and sent it through a sweet surprise.
Thank you, God, for providing for our wants as You teach us to trust You for our needs. Thank you for caring about those little things that lift our spirits. You are so incredibly good!
Here is the story:
We received a nice tax refund and immediately started budgeting how we would spend it. One thing that topped my list was getting the piano tuned. I won’t even say how long it has been since we called the tuner. (Hint: Nathan, who is now eight, spent most of the appointment slamming the lid of his toy box because he had just discovered that if he lifted it and let go it made a really cool sound.) Instead most of the refund went toward an unusually large gas bill, Norm’s sleep apnea machine, renewing car registration, and bills. The only item that got covered from my list was Nathan’s book fee for school. I was beyond bummed. In fact, I was mad. I felt like I had mapped out a reasonable plan for using that money wisely and it was getting sucked away!
I knew that I should be praising God that the money was there to suck away. How else would we have covered registration or that horrendous gas bill? God provided us with some new living room furniture through my parents, which we hadn’t asked for or expected. Why couldn’t I be satisfied with that? I could still afford to get the piano tuned if I really wanted to. We still had some of that refund.
Then I started getting less freelance work, threatening the last chunk of precious tax return money. On top of that life started getting hard—again. Suddenly getting the piano tuned seemed like the least of my worries.
Fast forward to this morning, when I sat paying bills and feeling needy for a little reminder that God had his eye on us (as if sending a check just in time to cover the bills I was paying wasn’t enough). The phone rang. It was the piano tuner from an embarrassingly high number of years ago! I explained to her that money (or lack of) had prevented us from calling on her. We talked about the economy and how quickly medical bills can send you to the poor house and the joys and frustrations of being in business for yourself. She clearly understood my situation—so much so that she offered me a deal and God immediately revealed how I would cover the cost. I have some birthday money stashed away that I never spent because I wasn’t sure what I wanted. Well, now I know! I’m getting the piano tuned! And I have just enough!
To some this might seem like a little thing but it was huge to me. As soon as I got off the phone I told my sons, “Well, God just answered one of my whiney prayers. He provided something that I didn’t need but really wanted.” I explained what happened then admitting that I need these little gifts from God sometimes, as a reminder that if He can cover something that I can get by without than He will certainly provide for what we need to survive. He knew I needed a reminder of His love today (I didn’t tell the boys that part—they would have considered it too girly) and sent it through a sweet surprise.
Thank you, God, for providing for our wants as You teach us to trust You for our needs. Thank you for caring about those little things that lift our spirits. You are so incredibly good!
posted by Jeanette Hanscome at 4:39 PM
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