God is truly amazing in how He orchestrates events. Although my wife and I had covenanted at the beginning of our marriage that when we had children she would stay at home (or I would if circumstances necessitated that). However, with being on unemployment for six months and then changing careers (and taking a $28k pay cut), we had come to realize that we needed to do something to help us pay off some debt and start saving again.

Compared to others we spoke to our debt was not bad at all. Nonetheless, we believed it wise and proactive to try to do something about it now instead of later when other things could make the situation more dire. In the end, though, we struggled with what steps to take.

If I had taken on a second job it would have crippled my ability to spend time with our children–a top priority for us both. Providentially, though, two opportunities came up for my wife as we prayed and considered what to do. Long-story-short, my wife ended up being offered both positions! In fact, it looks like she’ll be able to take both as well because the two positions won’t overlap; one will end and the other, which has a more simple schedule, would begin.

So what was the big deal about “Difficult Choices?” Well, for us, my wife taking a part-time teaching position during the middle of the day posed some problems regarding our kids’ handling such a drastic change in their schedule–particularly our sensitively-natured son. Most importantly, were we serving the Lord in the midst of our decision.

As we spoke though and wrote up a list of pros and cons we came to realize the things we thought might be deficits may turn out to be positives. You see, and here’s the moral of the story: we had allowed ourselves to forget that the Lord who provided these opportunities for us would also provide for our children during the nine months of the school year. Furthermore, we were blessed with family who would care for our children during the little over four hours they’d be out of the house. In the final analysis, it was the Lord who provided my wife with the talents as a special needs teacher. It was He who placed her in the right place at the right time to hear about these options. It was He would placed in our hearts the desire to not buy a big house. The list could go on. As we talked about it–and continue to reflect upon it– we realize now how much we neglect our relationship with our God because our focus is easily redirected to material things.

Of course, material well-being is important; God created us to live in time and within material space. He is, after all, the author of culture as he is the author of our existence. Though tempted we must fight our often sinful tendencies to worry about money and to be blind to how God has provided in the past and how He is providing today. I guess that is what makes living in the moment potentially so exciting: we get to experience God’s faithfulness in the midst of our too-often faithlessness.