Terrific Tuesday

Psalm 37:25-26 (HCSB) ~

I have been young and now I am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned
or his children begging for bread.
He is always generous, always lending,
and his children are a blessing.

Matthew 6:25-34 (HCSB) ~

“This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?  Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you—you of little faith? So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I opened the mail yesterday afternoon and immediately felt the tight knot of anxiety begin to form in my belly.  We hadn't received the college bill for Stephen's upcoming school year and were lulled into a false sense of security.  I thought that his grants and student loans were covering the whole thing and that's why we hadn't received anything.

However, it arrived yesterday and the $6,500 due is three times as much as last year and a large portion of it is due by July 15th.  I worked hard at stuffing in that anxiety for much of the evening yesterday but it rose back up this morning.  I have no idea how we are going to come up with that.

Yet, as I opened my Bible this morning, it fell open to Psalm 37 and I read the above verses as well as looking at Matthew 6 again.  It reminded me that God knew that bill was coming long before I did.  He knows our need.  He reminded me that Stephen will be receiving a $1,200 grant for working at his camp this summer.  He reminded me that we have enough in savings to pay the first month's payment.  And He reminded me that He is in control and will provide.

So today, I am choosing to trust Him.  I am choosing to not worry.  I am choosing to tighten up our belts and come up with some creative ways to save and make due.  I am choosing to not go on my planned retreat this week because that will cost us money we don't have.  But I'm choosing to do all this with joy.  With praise.  With thanksgiving.

Because God is a big God!  He is certainly bigger than a bill.  He is bigger than any problem I face.

And that makes this a Terrific Tuesday!