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Live above Your Means

 

Your means may be humble, but your attitude can be rich.  -christyfitzwater.com

He had always told us about growing up in half a house, but it wasn’t until last week that I saw this picture of it. Grandma is standing in front of it there –wearing a pink sundress that she undoubtedly sewed for herself.

With no indoor plumbing and quilts for an exterior door, it seems a horrible place for a single mom to raise two kids in Wyoming. How did grandma keep that little house warm when it would dip down below zero and the Wyoming wind and snow would come at them sideways?

But out of that house came two generous kids who lived by the motto, If you’ve got it, share it.

And share they did.

When I sat through my dad’s funeral last February, every person who spoke about him used the same word:

Generous.

The house dad grew up in was nothing but a minimal shelter in a bitter environment, but there was a warm soul within.

A woman who refused to complain.

Worked hard.

Opened the Bible every day and learned to trust Jesus for everything.

There’s a phrase going around these days, and I despise the sound of it.

“This sucks.”

A phrase of complaining and rarely about such things as lack of adequate shelter and having enough food –just complaining about everything unpleasant in a day.

I think about grandma who raised joyful, generous kids.

Well, I’m embarrassed to complain when I look at her life. So this is my campaign to erase the word “sucks” from our vocabulary.

Hard, yes. Life is hard.

Hard is a fair word to use in a day.

But like my counselor husband always says, Hard isn’t bad. It’s just hard.

Even though life is hard, you can live above your means.  -christyfitzwater.jpg

As for me, I’m thankful for my cozy house. Thankful for blankets used on a bed and not as a front door. Thankful for the love of Christ that brings peace. Thankful we ate dinner tonight, with leftovers. Thankful for indoor plumbing. Thankful that I’ll get to choose from a closet of clothes tomorrow.

What are you thankful for, even if your day is challenging?

7 Comments

  1. After a really, really tough day….hard, yes. Life can be hard, and beautiful and lovely and rich. Hard; yes.

  2. Like you, I am grateful for my comfortable home, plenty of food, clothes, but most of all the hope of heaven for all of eternity! I have much to rejoice about every day. 🙂

  3. Thank you for the wonderful reminder. I really enjoy your articles, God certainly uses you to speak to us all! I just wanted to say Thanks and God Bless you!

    1. Thank you for these kind words to start my day, and I appreciate the blessing!

  4. Karen Loudon says:

    This week I am thankful for electricity after a week with “on again/off again” power, thankful for hot showers and cold water to drink, thankful for the ability to use internet and keep in touch with my family far away………Thankful most of all for the power of Christ to forgive my sin, making me a new creation, adopting me into God’s family, changing me from the inside out!

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