Security Amidst Economic Turmoil

After hearing of the mortgage lending failures and housing market collapse nationwide, and listening to President Bush's address last night on the seven hundred billion dollar emergency plan he's urging congress to pass to rescue the American economy, I can't stop thinking about our living situation these past three-four years.

I've said it before, but do so now with more poignancy: Eight of us with a great dane and cat may be living in an 820-square foot mobile home that is often cramped and disallows many extras, but we own our home, own our property, own our cars and trucks, own our tractor, own our house under construction, and do not have loans of any kind, particularly for our in-construction house. We have not lived beyond our means!

Our family has received enormous flack at times for living as we have in an effort to keep from owing a lender to fund our house construction, and been chastised for not doing more to get money for building supplies, and I've countered the arguments with a simple fact of faith that before seemed ludicous: It's what God showed us to do. Now, with the United States on the verge of economic collapse, our ludicrous "stupid" choice to live this way no longer looks dumb, for we have some measure of security others don't right now.

God knew what was coming when we didn't, and He knew that even if we had completed the home, our real estate taxes would too burdensome for us during this difficult economic season. Jim and I aren't waking up in fear every morning our house might not be ours next month or our cars might be repoed. We aren't sweating bullets over loans and credit card debts we can't repay because we don't have any. As it is, rising costs of food and the ups and downs of fuel for both vehicles and home heating are enough difficulty for us. But we're stable.

I sincerely hope the naysayers over our lifestyle aren't suffering under this economic strain because I don't wish ill on anyone when it can be avoided, but no longer can anyone call us irresponsible or foolish for not living beyond our means. We're all healthy, warm, loved, and cared for. I can't think of any earthly things more valuable than those.

Thank You, God, for directing us in Your divine insight, and that we had faith and humility enough to listen even when at times we didn't want to.

When we obey God, in the end we won't be ashamed.

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Tech Tags: economy, Bush, budget, loan, debt, security