Marriage Moats-Mad About Money

Published: Wed, 01/04/12

Marriage Moats

Caring for Marriage

(If you want to hear Lori read the story click)here

It is ironic that I spent the evening reading desperate Chicken Soup for the Soul stories about people filing for bankruptcy. I also find it funny that Mercy made shirts for her brothers for Christmas with the $100 bill on them, and the words "It's All About the Benjamins"... but with own little boy's picture photoshopped in.

Just as I was yawning and headed for bed, John and I cracked open a topic that had a large Do Not Disturb sign on it.

Finances.

We made decisions about college tuition a few years ago, and I suddenly popped my head up out of the sand. I realized that the payments we have been making all along have not yet dented the principal. This ignited quickly into a tense evening, that truncated sleep as easily as it had our bank account.

After thrashing around numbers and accusations for hours, I decided to try to throw some water on my agitated state. I opened the Word randomly. I was not in the mood for more numbers, so I skipped the book with that name, and passed over Psalms because I was in a pit already. I turned to the end of Matthew, and found the story about ten virgins. I felt like one of the five foolish women, but I kept reading. The next section is about a man who gave his servants talents. One of them hid his talent in the ground, and when the master returned he snatched it from him. I was trying to figure out the lesson in all of this, but it was not penetrating my brain. Mostly I was still churning about my own poor stewardship.

We have not done a good job of teaching our kids about money. This is related to the fact that we are inept as well. Perhaps that is too harsh. I guess we are a little bit ept.

If there was a series of lectures in high school or college about finances, I missed it. I can still recite parts of Chaucer and Shakespeare, but I am mostly mute when it comes to assets. The embarrassing part is that my ignorance begets ignorance. I feel dumb, so I don't ask questions that would presumably make me less dumb.

But the Lord has impeccable timing.n the morning I shuffled to work, and there on my desk was the post Christmas mail. It included three letters of appreciation for Caring for Marriage, and three donations to the cause. Two of them were from people who are not even married. I was speechless. How is it possible that when I am in subterranean despair about something as lifeless as cash, God sends Psyche to bring back a jar of beauty from the Underworld? Generosity shines all the more brilliantly against a black background.

There was one more thing waiting for me as well.... a large box containing extra warm, chocolate brown boots.

From Santa.

Photo by Chara Odhner

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