“The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him,” Psalms 37:23 (NIV)
I just finished a great meeting with one of my bosses this morning. Do you want to know what made it so great? My boss shared with me things God is doing in His life for the company. That conversation reaffirmed the whispers I thought I’d heard from my Father as well because they are so closely tied together… and all for His glory.
While I was getting my lunch, I was praying for the people that we had talked about in the meeting and asking God to bless everyone involved. My thoughts drifted to finances and as I prayed, I was reminded that all the money in the world belongs to my Father. And I am His daughter. As His daughter, I have access to all the riches in the world. I don’t have anything to worry about when I realize the above truth along with the truth that my Father wants to bless me. He won’t bless me beyond what I can safely handle, but He will bless me appropriately.
All of the above got me thinking about my life. I’m where God wants me. For years I wished I didn’t have to work to help make ends meet. I wished I could just “stay at home” and be a wife/mother without having to divide my time between a business (or businesses) and my family.
However, today, God reminded me that if I didn’t have to work, I would have missed out on so much. I never would’ve had the chance to meet all the wonderful people God has placed in my life… starting with the foster care/adoption agency I worked at for the first five years of our married life. That job started a friendship which introduced me 12 years later to a beautiful lady whose precious little boy is quietly sleeping next to me while I work two different jobs today. And, if I didn’t have to work, I never would’ve met the boss I referred to above, possibly blessing him with the confirmation God revealed to me during our meeting. I know it sure blessed me.
Now, does that mean I think God couldn’t use someone else to bless these people? To watch the little boy I’m privileged to snuggle with today or reaffirm to my boss that God is in control? Absolutely not. I’m replaceable in all these circumstances. Does that also mean I think that if God didn’t use me in these specific circumstances, He wouldn’t use me as a “stay at home” wife/mother instead? Nope – I know that as long as I’m willing, God will use me in any situation I choose to allow Him to.
But, it did make my heart happy this morning to realize the answer to my question of, “What if God had chosen to allow me the desire to be a stay at home wife/mom instead of a working mom?” I could honestly say I was happy that God allowed me the privilege of meeting so many fantastic people because of being obedient to walk in the steps He chose for me. I know that God has our financial situation. He and my husband and I have the same goal – to be debt free. Our Father could pay off our debt with a single thought… and while He is replacing my lost income from last year and showing us how to pay it off, I’m content knowing that I’m right where He wants me. Without the “have to” of work, I would’ve missed out on so many blessings and so many wonderful friendships.
I’m glad God took me down the path of “what if” today. It reminded me that He has this… our finances for sure, but most importantly our future. I’m going to just keep walking and soak in all the blessings He’s given so far while expectantly watching for the new blessings He’s sure to bring our way as well.
© Cheri Swalwell 2015