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March 02, 2008 |
The Warmth of Winter
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." - Ecclesiastes 3:1
As another Chicago winter stretches on, I've been longing for spring. And isn't that how it is whenever we go through a wintry financial season? We can't wait for a better one to begin.
In my mid 20's, I inherited $60,000 from an uncle, only to transform that gift into $20,000 of credit card debt. The next four and a half years, during which I paid it all off, often felt like one long winter. I couldn't wait to get to a better place. But along the way I found some encouragement reading about an affliction faced by the apostle Paul.
"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me." (2 Corinthians 12:7)
Boy, could I relate. My debt felt like the nastiest of thorns that had been twisted into my flesh.
"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me." (2 Corinthians 12:8)
Three times? How about a gazillion times?
"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" (2 Corinthians 12:9)
When I read those last verses I felt a tremendous weight lift from my shoulders. God had already used my financial difficulties to draw me into a relationship with him. But Paul's words told me there was an additional purpose for what I was going through. I realized God was using that time to teach me how to depend on him and to help me develop more patience.
If you're in the midst of a difficult financial season, my encouragement is to look for all that God wants to teach you. It's probably more than you think. Rest in God's promise to provide for you (Matthew 6:25-34) and know that he has a purpose he wants to accomplish in whatever you're going through (Romans 8:28).
The other night as I ran a bag of trash outside to our garbage can and turned to make my usual quick dash toward the warmth of our home, I glanced up and was stopped by the beauty of trees coated in fresh snow glistening under a full moon. I stood there for a moment just taking it in. Then I did something I do far too infrequently: I thanked God for the winter.
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