Sometimes, paying off debt really stinks.

Have you ever prayed for patience?  Whenever I do, it seems virtually guarenteed that within mere hours something will come along and test my patience to the limit, usually leaving me furious, frustrated and all together impatient.

The same thing seems to happen whenever I make a resolution of any kind, including getting serious about getting out of debt.  Not too long ago, I blogged about our Emergency Fund and how we've used it a few times, but it generally seems to cover things.

"Things" in this case does not include a rebuilt transmission, as we discovered last week.  No, a transmission generally runs about twice our emergency fund ($1897, to be exact).  So, what to do?  We were able to squeeze about $100 extra out of our budget for the month, but that still left us about $800 in the hole.  To make up the difference, Caleb's dad stepped in and provided.  In our July budget, we will be paying him back as soon as our four walls (housing, food, transportation and clothing) are covered.  Then, we'll be rebuilding our emergency fund.  Even with Caleb working an extra job and nearly doubling our normal income, we won't be able to go back to our snowball until August, unless money drops from the sky.

Financially, I know we'll be fine.  Emotionally, I'm pissed off, frustrated, tired and, in moments of weakness, ready to throw in the towel and just be defeatest about the whole thing.  It seems like every time we're ready to really get going with paying down the debt some little thing pops up and wont let us do it quite yet.  When will it end?  When does it get easier?
Well, not yet.
The good news is that we are not going through this alone.  God always knows when we're at our most exhausted (physically, emotionally, financially, etc.) and uses that exact moment to remind us of his love and provision.  In that vein, two things happened this week.  The first was a talk that Dave Ramsey gave at my uncle's church.  He sent me the link to the videos.  In that video Dave talks about how when the transmission blows (and he uses that example) is a test.  This is when the rubber meets the road.  If we weren't really committed to being debt free, it would have been really really easy to open a new credit card account to pay for it.
The second moment was at church this week.  The gospel reading was, of course, Matthew 6:19-34.  Do not be anxious. I know what you need.  I'll take care of you.  Keep doing what you're supposed to do and let me handle tomorrow.