So much to do in one year...
"I have so much to do today, I shall spend the first three hours in prayer."
~Martin Luther
This quote carries so much weight to me.
God is merciful to continue sustaining us, providing for us, and loving us even when we push Him to the back burner of our lives. Too often, we use this truth as an excuse to say that He will "understand" if we just can't make time for Him on that day.
But in this quote, Luther shows a different level of faith. God's goodness is not dependent on how many hours one spends in prayer, but he chooses to put God first, trusting that everything else will follow. I don't know if there is any historical record on whether or not he completed that day's long to-do list, but I wish I could hear the ways that he saw God respond to his prayer.
2018 brought frustration in life and on my financial journey. I had made plans to serve as a residential volunteer in an anti-trafficking ministry, which would greatly reduce my living expenses in addition to being a part of a cause close to my heart. I believed I might finally get out of debt while doing something I was passionate about.
Then, God suddenly pulled me out of my well-paying job. Looking back, this was His grace. My work environment was destroying my mental health (not at the fault of any former colleagues who might see this post via social media!). I had forgotten that it wasn't normal to feel crippling anxiety every morning and come home in tears every night. But, in the moment, national level politics had caused my career field to take a hit and I was left wondering what the next steps where.
When a new teaching job didn't open up by the end of August, I decided to take a year and work as a paraprofessional instead (another act of God's mercy- I needed a year to step back and observe a healthy work environment without the pressures of teaching). I loved my position, but I struggled to stretch each paycheck two weeks. In November, a car accident put me over the edge financially and I ended up taking on a third job as a waitress. I had three great work environments, I was able to pay my bills (but not have much left over) and, unlike teaching, each job only commanded my attention when I was clocked in. No outside planning or paperwork was required. Still, I was discouraged to be less involved with the anti-trafficking ministry than I had hoped, and the long hours took a toll on me physically, combined with leftover healing from the car-accident. Of course, being able to put so little on my debt while my Master's degree hung useless on my bedroom wall was a pretty depressing place to be.
Then, in May of 2019, I received a text from my parents. They had been praying about some major purchases and felt God was continually pressing my student loan debt on their hearts. They wanted to gift me a significant amount of money to pay off my loans.
2019 went from a year of financial stagnancy to my best debt-payoff year yet overnight, thanks to the generosity of my parents. This summer I was able to teach summer school again, as well as start delivering groceries for Shipt (an independent contracting company that allows me to set my own schedule). Mid summer brought ANOTHER car accident (hopefully my last!) wherein I was not at fault but my car was totaled. The good news was I was able to replace my car under budget, which took another thousand off my debt. Although my year of anti-trafficking ministry ended, I was able to find an apartment with two roommates, so my rent only increased slightly, rather than by the cost of a one-bedroom apartment (which can easily be 1,000 a month or more).
Finally, two days before school started, I was offered a new teaching position in a nearby suburb. The pay isn't as high as it was in my old position...but, I'm also not coming home crying every night. I chose to step down from my waitressing job, but I have continued to chip away at my debt.
So, now begins 2020.
I have $16,144.66 (and $148.35 in interest) left on my student loan debt. It's all one loan and it's the only debt I have.
I started this journey with more than $75 thousand in debt. I know I can pay this off in 2020. But I have other expenses, other things to do besides work, and unexpected expenses will arise.
But I need to make this my year. I need to start saving on a downpayment for a house. I need to start saving for retirement. I need to start saving to replace my car when it goes kaputz. I want to take my dad to Hawaii and I want to take my mom somewhere. I need to get rid of this debt so I can focus on those things.
So...I have so much to pay this year, I shall give the first ten percent of EVERYTHING I make to God.
I have tried to tithe my full-time income and my income from selling skincare (since I plan to do that long-term). But, in 2020, I will be tithing everything I make. From driving for Shipt, from any direct sales, from working at the tanning salon, from whatever my summer job is. Even if it's a few dollars for selling a book or a pair of shoes, or from doing surveys online. Ten percent of it will go to my church, to a missionary, to a ministry that is doing God's work, or wherever else I believe God would have me give it.
I don't share this to boast. Anything good that happens this year is God's grace, not my deserved reward. I share this publicly to hold myself accountable to this commitment. God has been good to give me a career I enjoy, an apartment I can afford, food and clothes. He commands me to "give as I have decided in my heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7). Like many other Christians, I "decide in my heart" to give ten percent of my income as a tithe. God owes me nothing in return as I am simply giving what is already His. But, just as I wish I could hear how Martin Luther's to-do list went for that day, I am eager to see what He will do this year.
So, here goes 2020. All Glory be to Christ!
~Martin Luther
This quote carries so much weight to me.
God is merciful to continue sustaining us, providing for us, and loving us even when we push Him to the back burner of our lives. Too often, we use this truth as an excuse to say that He will "understand" if we just can't make time for Him on that day.
But in this quote, Luther shows a different level of faith. God's goodness is not dependent on how many hours one spends in prayer, but he chooses to put God first, trusting that everything else will follow. I don't know if there is any historical record on whether or not he completed that day's long to-do list, but I wish I could hear the ways that he saw God respond to his prayer.
2018 brought frustration in life and on my financial journey. I had made plans to serve as a residential volunteer in an anti-trafficking ministry, which would greatly reduce my living expenses in addition to being a part of a cause close to my heart. I believed I might finally get out of debt while doing something I was passionate about.
Then, God suddenly pulled me out of my well-paying job. Looking back, this was His grace. My work environment was destroying my mental health (not at the fault of any former colleagues who might see this post via social media!). I had forgotten that it wasn't normal to feel crippling anxiety every morning and come home in tears every night. But, in the moment, national level politics had caused my career field to take a hit and I was left wondering what the next steps where.
When a new teaching job didn't open up by the end of August, I decided to take a year and work as a paraprofessional instead (another act of God's mercy- I needed a year to step back and observe a healthy work environment without the pressures of teaching). I loved my position, but I struggled to stretch each paycheck two weeks. In November, a car accident put me over the edge financially and I ended up taking on a third job as a waitress. I had three great work environments, I was able to pay my bills (but not have much left over) and, unlike teaching, each job only commanded my attention when I was clocked in. No outside planning or paperwork was required. Still, I was discouraged to be less involved with the anti-trafficking ministry than I had hoped, and the long hours took a toll on me physically, combined with leftover healing from the car-accident. Of course, being able to put so little on my debt while my Master's degree hung useless on my bedroom wall was a pretty depressing place to be.
Then, in May of 2019, I received a text from my parents. They had been praying about some major purchases and felt God was continually pressing my student loan debt on their hearts. They wanted to gift me a significant amount of money to pay off my loans.
2019 went from a year of financial stagnancy to my best debt-payoff year yet overnight, thanks to the generosity of my parents. This summer I was able to teach summer school again, as well as start delivering groceries for Shipt (an independent contracting company that allows me to set my own schedule). Mid summer brought ANOTHER car accident (hopefully my last!) wherein I was not at fault but my car was totaled. The good news was I was able to replace my car under budget, which took another thousand off my debt. Although my year of anti-trafficking ministry ended, I was able to find an apartment with two roommates, so my rent only increased slightly, rather than by the cost of a one-bedroom apartment (which can easily be 1,000 a month or more).
Finally, two days before school started, I was offered a new teaching position in a nearby suburb. The pay isn't as high as it was in my old position...but, I'm also not coming home crying every night. I chose to step down from my waitressing job, but I have continued to chip away at my debt.
So, now begins 2020.
I have $16,144.66 (and $148.35 in interest) left on my student loan debt. It's all one loan and it's the only debt I have.
I started this journey with more than $75 thousand in debt. I know I can pay this off in 2020. But I have other expenses, other things to do besides work, and unexpected expenses will arise.
But I need to make this my year. I need to start saving on a downpayment for a house. I need to start saving for retirement. I need to start saving to replace my car when it goes kaputz. I want to take my dad to Hawaii and I want to take my mom somewhere. I need to get rid of this debt so I can focus on those things.
So...I have so much to pay this year, I shall give the first ten percent of EVERYTHING I make to God.
I have tried to tithe my full-time income and my income from selling skincare (since I plan to do that long-term). But, in 2020, I will be tithing everything I make. From driving for Shipt, from any direct sales, from working at the tanning salon, from whatever my summer job is. Even if it's a few dollars for selling a book or a pair of shoes, or from doing surveys online. Ten percent of it will go to my church, to a missionary, to a ministry that is doing God's work, or wherever else I believe God would have me give it.
I don't share this to boast. Anything good that happens this year is God's grace, not my deserved reward. I share this publicly to hold myself accountable to this commitment. God has been good to give me a career I enjoy, an apartment I can afford, food and clothes. He commands me to "give as I have decided in my heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7). Like many other Christians, I "decide in my heart" to give ten percent of my income as a tithe. God owes me nothing in return as I am simply giving what is already His. But, just as I wish I could hear how Martin Luther's to-do list went for that day, I am eager to see what He will do this year.
So, here goes 2020. All Glory be to Christ!
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