E-MESS: My faith has been shaken
Posted 11 years ago - May 20, 2013
From: Wally
Hello i don't usually do this (meaning ask for prayer from people i don't personally know) but i listen to the show every chance i get and i feel like i know you all.
I know you have been in the same spot we are, which is having a house we moved from and trying to sell it....it has been on the market for 3-1/2 years and i am so very discouraged, it is affecting my marriage and home life.
i am so stressed about money we are one problem away from going into bankruptcy, we are current on our payments but there are things that are not getting done because of it...like kids not gong to the dentist, brakes not getting fixed on the car and a host of other things too many to mention.
i am in tears over this all the time....we tithe to our church, and I am wondering where is God, why is He allowing us to sink further and further into a dark hole.
My faith is really shaken over this and i am in desperate need of prayer. I am in tears as I am writing this to you..Thank you for taking time to read this..
Sadly, I know all too well what that feels like and it is not fun. You can drive yourself crazy and second guess what got you to this point but it won't change it.Something you said really struck me. You said that this is affecting your marriage. There are things in your situation that are truly beyond your control but your marriage is one of the only things you actually can control. losing you house is sad but it is a house. Losing your marriage over your house is a tragedy.
My wife and I obviously had good and bad days when we were going through this but we were always in it together and our goal was to support the one who was struggling the most in the moment. I am not going to say that praying will save your house it might not but learning to trust God and be cognizant of His provision is vital.
God didn't pull us out of our situation and I lost over $100,000. On the surface you could ask where was God why did he let you lose this money. In the end I had to lose it to learn to trust him and I saw His provision differently after that.
I saw that my family never starved. I saw that my daughter has a deeper reliance on God and I saw my faith grow and my relationship with my wife get even stronger. I didn't get financial provision, but I got provision in different ways.
The turning point for me was when I learned to be thankful for what I had even though at the time it was not what I wanted. My sense of humor helped carry us. We joked that our 2nd home was like a vacation home we couldn't visit and was draining us.
I always knew that when something good, like a tax refund for $800 came in, I would get a car repair bill for $815 and it did but I was thankful that $800 was covered. I changed my outlook and it changed things for me with the things I couldn't change.
This well end for you and even if it is bankruptcy there will be relief from that too and you will feel good again but don't let this time hurt your marriage or your faith cause again that would be the real tragedy. I hope that helps a little.
Later
