Financial Blessings

My part-time job at the library provided me with an extra few hundred dollars each month which I deposited into our savings account.  $250 was automatically withdrawn from my paycheck and deposited directly into savings.  Remember that figure; it’ll come up again later in the story.  The rest of the money (if there was more than that) was used toward flat tires, car emergencies or extra expenses that pop up occasionally.  There’s always something that comes up, right?!

In our 14 years of marriage saving money has happened rarely because each dollar earned usually pays a bill or feeds our family.  There’s not any extra money at the end of the month for fun or luxuries.  So being able to save my paycheck was actually fun for me.  I would rather save it than spend it!  I’ve always loved studying finances.  It is a passion of mine.  I love to make financial goals and pay off debts early.  I always want to save; it just doesn’t get to happen often.  So working at the library was not only satisfying for me personally but also financially.

One of the things I’ve had to do since becoming pregnant is quit working at the library.  I did get permission to take a couple of months off due to sickness, but I felt inspired to quit entirely because I knew that when newborn baby did finally come, the last thing I would want to have to do is leave her at home while I went to work!  In hindsight, I’m so glad that I did quit entirely because there is no way I could’ve handled the fatigue of this pregnancy on top of working evenings and some Saturdays.  I might’ve been able to take June and July off, but I was NOT ready to go back to work in August.  I was still throwing up some evenings!  And I still wouldn’t have been ready in September!  The nausea is gone but the exhaustion isn’t!

It was a concern of mine, however, that our financial goals would be thwarted and that money would be tighter without the extra cushion my small paycheck provided.  I knew I didn’t have to work, however, and I moved forward in faith, knowing that through the blessings of tithing, my family would be lovingly watched over and provided for.  (In my church, we tithe 10% of our income.  Matt and I have experienced so many blessings by following this financial-spiritual principle, I am thoroughly converted to the obeying of this commandment!)

Matt and I proceeded with our decision and preparations for a future pregnancy and I put in my two weeks notice at work.  It would be a little sad to leave my friends and coworkers at the library, but I felt comforted that it would be for a greater good.  (By the way, if my friend, Al, from the library is reading this, Hi Al!  Hopefully I’ll see you sometime when I stop at the library with my family!  I miss seeing your happy face!)

Fast forward a few weeks.  Toward the end of the school year (April or May), Matt received his annual contract to sign for the following school year.  He called me when he received it and gave me some good news.  “Honey, it looks like I’ve been moved up a couple of tiers on the pay schedule.  I’ll be getting about a $3,000/year raise!”  That news was completely unexpected to both of us!  Truly it would be a blessing but we honestly didn’t think much more of it than that.  The financial increase was still months away from happening.

It was a few days later as I was pondering (okay, worrying over) the reality of my impending loss of paychecks when I realized what a $3,000/year raise translates into per month.  Can you do the math?  $3,000 divided by 12 = $250!  That is the exact amount I had been saving from each of my paychecks.  The exact amount!  Who could’ve possibly planned this so perfectly?  Who could bless us so exactly and so directly and so obviously?  God only!  What a comfort that was to me and an assurance that my loving Heavenly Father would take care of me and my family as we take this next step. 

Now that the new school year has started, Matt has received his first paycheck.  It isn’t exactly $250 more per month that he takes home.  Of course, the state has to take it’s share of retirement funding (15% of his income mandatory!) and the federal government has to take it’s share of taxes.  But still, I love to live the gospel and witness first-hand the direct and personal financial blessings from obeying the principle of tithing and knowing my Father in Heaven cares for me.  God is so good!