It was my lunch break and I was driving to the bank, excited to cash my first paycheck since beginning the experiment. I had already figured how much money I'd need to pay my rent, utilities, insurance, gas, groceries and other obligations. Now my mind was eagerly contemplating how I'd use the rest of the check to further the kingdom of God. That's when I heard the familiar still small voice speak.
That's not your money to spend.
"Oh, I know, Lord", I replied. "It's Your money. Just show me what You want me to do with it." It's not my money either. Confused now, I asked, "Then whose money is it?" Northwest Hospital's. "Oh".
Last December I went to the emergency room with very high blood pressure, a tight chest and tingling in my left arm. After a dozen EKG's, a nuclear stress test and a night in the hospital it was determined that there was nothing at all wrong with me. My blood pressure was great, my heart was strong and healthy. The high readings came from a BP cuff that was too tight. That also accounted for the tingling in the arm, and the tight chest was from anxiety thinking I may be having a heart attack. The actual near heart attack came when I saw the bill. With no health insurance at the time, the bill from Northwest Hospital came to $9,600 (after they took off $3000 for a self-pay discount). The related services (cardiologist, radiologist, urgent care, etc.) came to just under $3,000 combined. Within nine months I had the "little" bills paid off and only had the monster hospital bill to attack. They, however, got tired of waiting for their money and turned me to collections. I had begun paying that faithfully $100/mo. but within 2 months they got a court order against me to pay $250/mo. or they'd have legal recourse. I kind of resented being sued for debt when I was doing my best to pay it and had never even been late with a payment. Now the Lord was addressing the issue.
You owed every penny the minute the service was rendered, the still small voice continued. The fact they waited nine months for payment, was grace. Being willing to take any payments at all is also grace. Even getting the court order was grace. All the money you acquire is theirs until this debt is paid in full. If they are allowing you to use some of it to live on and pay other obligations, that is grace.
Wow! I'd never seen debt from this perspective before, and I was suddenly grateful that I no longer have credit cards and this is the only debt I have.
"So I can't use the extra money from my check for the kingdom?" I asked. My grace is sufficient for the need. Man's grace is limited. You may use a portion where I direct and the rest goes to Northwest Hospital until your debt is paid. When that is paid in full, all your extra income can be used to further the kingdom. Until then, that money does not belong to you, or even to Me. You never know when limited grace will run out.
So the Lord has taken this experiment in a direction I did not foresee, but I see the wisdom in it. I will pay more than $250/mo. on this bill and will get it paid off as quickly as I can. Maybe I'll be free from it by the time I get all the other excess in my life trimmed off, then God will really be free to move in my life. Now I just need the patience to wait for that day and the determination to keep trimming the debt and the excess along the way. But I know I can do it. God's grace is sufficient for me. Only man's grace is limited.
That's not your money to spend.
"Oh, I know, Lord", I replied. "It's Your money. Just show me what You want me to do with it." It's not my money either. Confused now, I asked, "Then whose money is it?" Northwest Hospital's. "Oh".
Last December I went to the emergency room with very high blood pressure, a tight chest and tingling in my left arm. After a dozen EKG's, a nuclear stress test and a night in the hospital it was determined that there was nothing at all wrong with me. My blood pressure was great, my heart was strong and healthy. The high readings came from a BP cuff that was too tight. That also accounted for the tingling in the arm, and the tight chest was from anxiety thinking I may be having a heart attack. The actual near heart attack came when I saw the bill. With no health insurance at the time, the bill from Northwest Hospital came to $9,600 (after they took off $3000 for a self-pay discount). The related services (cardiologist, radiologist, urgent care, etc.) came to just under $3,000 combined. Within nine months I had the "little" bills paid off and only had the monster hospital bill to attack. They, however, got tired of waiting for their money and turned me to collections. I had begun paying that faithfully $100/mo. but within 2 months they got a court order against me to pay $250/mo. or they'd have legal recourse. I kind of resented being sued for debt when I was doing my best to pay it and had never even been late with a payment. Now the Lord was addressing the issue.
You owed every penny the minute the service was rendered, the still small voice continued. The fact they waited nine months for payment, was grace. Being willing to take any payments at all is also grace. Even getting the court order was grace. All the money you acquire is theirs until this debt is paid in full. If they are allowing you to use some of it to live on and pay other obligations, that is grace.
Wow! I'd never seen debt from this perspective before, and I was suddenly grateful that I no longer have credit cards and this is the only debt I have.
"So I can't use the extra money from my check for the kingdom?" I asked. My grace is sufficient for the need. Man's grace is limited. You may use a portion where I direct and the rest goes to Northwest Hospital until your debt is paid. When that is paid in full, all your extra income can be used to further the kingdom. Until then, that money does not belong to you, or even to Me. You never know when limited grace will run out.
So the Lord has taken this experiment in a direction I did not foresee, but I see the wisdom in it. I will pay more than $250/mo. on this bill and will get it paid off as quickly as I can. Maybe I'll be free from it by the time I get all the other excess in my life trimmed off, then God will really be free to move in my life. Now I just need the patience to wait for that day and the determination to keep trimming the debt and the excess along the way. But I know I can do it. God's grace is sufficient for me. Only man's grace is limited.
Wonderful!! keep up the good work, its amazing how God works when we keep our eyes on Jesus (EOJ) and Listen to HIS voice . God has truly blessed you in your writing ability .
ReplyDeleteThe borrower is slave to the lender. If you a servicing debt(mammon) it reduces your ability to serve the Lord. A man cannot serve two masters. If you intend to serve the Lord, your first step has to be to get out of debt.
ReplyDelete