Penny Jar

Curtis and I have a piggy bank and we save our change in it all year and at Christmas we give the piggy bank to one of our kids.  It's a nice treat for them and kind of a spin on a family tradition.  My grandfather saved his money in a piggy bank and every year gave it to one of his grandchildren at Christmas. We never knew who was going to get it and it was always a surprise.  It always had a good amount of money in it, too.  It was awesome to get the piggy bank. 

So, Curtis and I do save our change in the piggy bank, except we put our pennies, and pennies only, in a separate jar.  It is for something special in the future.  Julia may decide to get married some day and it is our "savings" for that.  It may not add up to a lot, but it will be something and that's better than nothing. I have asked a few family members to do the same, to save their pennies for Julia.  It's kind of fun.  I find pennies in the oddest places and it makes me happy to find them.  I think of them as "pennies from heaven" to provide for us.  A penny is nice.  A nickel or a dime is a even better.  It's 5 times or 10 times the blessing. 

Curtis and I are on a tight budget every month and I sometimes worry about how we will afford the things that our kids need in the future.  They will be 16 this year and I have no idea how we will manage that, but things have always worked out.  One thing I have learned through the whole triplet experience is that GOD PROVIDES.  We have to be responsible and good stewards of what He gives us but he will not let us down.  We might have hard times and we might have to go without when we don't want to, but He has always taken care of us in the most amazing ways. 

When I had my first sonogram and there were triplets, my first thought was "What have we done?!?"  I was scared to death.  I would obviously have to quit my job, which I had not planned on as a new mother.  And Curtis is a teacher and a coach and his salary is okay, but we would not be able to afford what we need with babies on just his salary.  Quitting my job cut our income in half.  Our medical expenses with the pregnancy and triplets were outrageous.  I don't know an exact number, but I would estimate with my pregnancy and the medical costs for the triplets in the first two years, the total is probably 2 million dollars.  I'm serious.  Half of that was Ryan on his own. 

But I am telling you, God provided.  Most of our medical expenses were covered and our income was supplemented by a special program that Ryan qualified for because he was considered seriously disabled as a baby.  We did not want Ryan to be sick, but considering the cirumstances, we could not have planned it better.  God took care of every financial need we had at that time without us having to do much at all. 

Since I am having some unexpected medical expenses lately I'm a little nervous about paying the extra bills.  Not panicked, but nervous.  But I know without doubt that it will work out.  How?  I'm not sure.  I have a general idea.  How will we pay for these kids and their car expenses?  College?  Like I said, in earlier circumstances, we could not have planned it better and God has it figured out.  He is mighty to save.  He is in control. 

I was doing laundry today and specifically thinking about the bills and the expensive tests I am having run.  How will they turn out?  In the washing machine I find a nickel which may seem like an ordinary thing, but to me it is a reminder that God has it covered.