Lessons in humility from high on a camel’s back I

But that is only the schooling. The other is God’s will…

First, like many, perhapse all of us, I have a thin budget. I am paid slightly below average for my field, and well below what I could be getting for my skills. (But, money isn’t everything, and I really enjoy where I work)

I live simply, and that would actually be a comfortable living for a bachelor, but for my debt. I used to work for myself. I ran my own business for 5 years. I heard God quietly suggesting it’s time to get out, but I was a little insecure, and I liked what I was doing.

So when God finally said, “You are done. Now,” I wasn’t ready. As a result, essentially I walked away from my business. Accounts Receivable were not reconciled, and Accounts Payable always stick with you. So I am still making payments on services from a few years ago. Some is credit card debt, and i am also still finishing my student loans.

So, money is seldom in excess.

Until now. Sorta.

Just a few months ago, I started tithing.

The basis of the tithe is that God gives me all that I have, including my job and the check it pays me. God expects me to be a good steward of all His stuff, including my finances. One of his requests is that I give 10% of my riches to the Church. When I do so, I will be rewarded for my obedience.

Well, not having much money, I’ve always given of my time. I have always shared of my resources, both those in excess and those that are thin (this is part of why I have little free time). As for money, I couldn’t justify tithing when I am in debt. That money belongs to my debtors before I even earned it.

But, recently, my pastor gave a sermon, in which he specifically said “and if you are in debt, give anyway. God will reward you by paying your debts faster” (or something close to that – you get the idea).

So, I took him and God up on it. The first Sunday after every payday, I drop a check for 10% of my gross income into the offering plate. I tell you, it feels GREAT!!

But here’s the neat part. Where before, I was “living from check to check”, often asking for loans or extensions from week to week…borrowing from my parents, only to pay them back the following week (I really hate doing that!!).

NOW, though, I am financially stable. I pay my bills ontime, instead of bulk payments every three months. I am making substantial payments to my two biggest debts, and I still have money to go dancing, eat out with Tyler, or buy some camping gear.

It is beautiful. God is faithful to His promises. Amen.

So, that comes to this weekend.

I am still commanded to be a good steward of my resources. I wasn’t in church last Sunday, so I was feeling guilty about not having paid my tithe yet (it is the “first fruits” after all). Secondly, I did make one big purchase this week – the new outback stove. So, when I decided I “wanted” to go buy the cookset, i was doing a lot of justifying to myself.

I knew that making the purchase ($50ish) would possibly jeopardize my ability to pay rent or tithe in full. But, in a moment of greed, I lapsed back into an old spending habit. I wanted it, and I could juggle things til my next paycheck on the 14th. After all, I NEEDED the cookset this weekend (not to mention the $10 for white gas, and probably $20 for outback kitchen tools…you see where this is going).

So, when I got to College Town, and found the stores closed – I laughed. God loves me after all! He tinkered with my schedule at the end of the workday Friday, and made sure I wouldn’t get there on time. He even contrived to have one shop close 5 minutes early! How awesome!!! Thank you, Lord, for looking after a fool! *loving smile*

Well, my weekend just kinda progressed. I ended up pitching the tent at my folks again. My goal in camping this weekend was to seam-seal the floor of the tent, a process that takes 12 hours to fully cure. So, I got up saturday morning, gathered some laundry, gathered some gear and entertainment, and headed to my folks.

It was a beautiful day, and I pitched the tent, cleaned the car, and even washed and line-dried some laundry (something I can’t do at home!) – whatever I could do to be outside.

*laughing* I had my shoes off after pitching the tent, so I could climb around inside and seam-seal. A while later, I was trying to put the rainfly on, and…stepped on one of the small, sharp, alumninum tent stakes, in the ground. I now have a deep puncture wound in my heel, inside, just where the arch starts.

I go inside and treat this and rest abit. I dont panic, but still, it is a deep wound, and my body experienced a slight trauma.

Then, I go back outside, to finish pitching the rainfly. Basically, it clips onto the tent-straps – no biggie. But, it has a vestibule over the tent door, which must be staked out. Well, normally I push the stakes in with my shoe, but since I was barefoot, I tried using another tent-peg.

How many of you are already giggling/cringing?

Yes, as i am pushing with main force, the one stake slips off the other, and the stake in the ground gets rammed up under my thumbnail, along one side, almost to the base.

Dehydration has one advantage…my blood gushes very slowly. By the time I was inside, it had already gelled. Fortunately, my wilderness First-aid kit is something I always carry in my trunk, and I had it out still from working on my foot, if not from when I was doing an inventory on it earlier in the day.

Saturday evening, i spent inside watching cable television. Apollo 13 was on ABC. I bawl my head off watching this show. I figured out while sitting there crying – this is how my body handles actual crisies so well. Its because I let myself experience the emotion and pain while watching the fantasy. So I am able to isolate it from any actual events when they happen.

Or something like that. I had never put the two together before that night. I will work on it.