Debt Free, Again

Tell me, truly, how is it that God can be constant and consistent in His goodness, kindness, ability, and abundance, and yet we, as His children, are forever surprised by the generosity with which He loves us??

At the end of January, we closed on a house and went back into debt: $191,000.00

This was before the Pandemic hit America, and though I felt sick to my stomach that we had re-entered the chains that go along with owing someone money, I felt confident in our ability to repay that debt before the end of the year, with the sale of our other house and a big hustle for the rest.

But 2020, in all of its tumult, brought confusion. Suddenly, I was glad we had 30 years to pay off the loan, if we needed it. The timeline shifted from "this year" to "as fast as we're able to," but with that came the admittance of defeat. We weren't going to be debt free this year.

During the Pandemic we went back into savings mode and piled up cash. I was selling a garage full of things and trash picking twice a week for furniture to sell. Matt was working his business and cutting grass for multiple people... 

Matt was also spending every evening fixing up our first home (replacing a window in the bathroom and adding a half bath in the laundry room), getting it ready to sell. All the while, he was praying that when our home sold we would have enough money saved to combine with the sale of the house and pay off our new house in full.

I was running numbers in my head and couldn't get them to add up. Doubtful. I was full of doubts.

All of our furniture was still over at the first house, and we were living in the camper, me 8 1/2 months pregnant. We needed to get the first house finished, on the market, sold, our furniture moved, and the new house set up for baby... all before she came. 

God was in the timing, from start to finish. If the house had been put on the market any sooner, we wouldn't have had enough money saved to combine with the sale and pay off the new house. The Pandemic made the housing market crazy, and we were able to ask $15k more than I had thought and get an offer the next day.

My impatience with the timing, as Matt worked through projects slowly, just shows that God had to work to payoff our home and answer prayers in spite of me. 

I didn't assist Him or pay off our house... He paid it off, in His own timing, beautifully.

When our first house closed, we still owed $32k on the new house and, praise God, had $33k saved.

I hope you saw God's mercy in the last post, and I hope you see His goodness in this one. Hearing and answering the prayers of His children.

Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me, all the days of my life.

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!