The Truth About Money - 4

The first few years of marriage go by at a blinding pace. If you are newly married that might be hard to imagine but that was certainly my experience. We were struggling to find ways to earn enough money - but we always had enough.

I started working in group homes for troubled kids at a non profit family agency. The job paid very little and it was emotionally stressful but it was a job. I've learned that every job has its benefits. One of the benefits for this job was the capacity for pretty rapid upward movement. Of course that was because so many people couldn't hack the work or found a better job elsewhere. Nevertheless, I did move up the ranks and with that there were some moderate raises.

The other part of the job that increased was opportunities. I taught a diversion class to shoplifters - an extra $50 per month. The big break came when I got the opportunity to coordinate the big fund raiser for the year - a food booth at the County Fair. For the next eight years, I took on the responsibility for everything that went into making the Elephant Ears and Barbecued Beef booth profitable. It was my job to prepare the booth, order supplies, and coordinate 200 + volunteer shifts. Needless to say it was a lot of work but it also added a bonus to the paycheck. Marla was right there - helping me do whatever she could and being patient during those grueling ten days each summer.

Of course, it was not just Elephant Ears I handled in that time. I also handled a lot of cash - quite frankly with very little accountability. Every night I bagged up wads of bills and headed home to count it in preparation for deposit. In that setting, many people justify pocketing a little here and a little there. Often there is justification in their thinking because they are working such long hours for so little. The truth is the money was not mine. I was merely the counter. Everything I took home (every sticky coin and bill) was deposited faithfully.

I became a Supervisor at one of the Group Homes and part of the job was to manage the house finances. A house checkbook was funded by the agency each month based on how full the house stayed. I learned to function with those ups and downs in income by always planning to bring in less than expected and spend more than expected. Marla also helped me stretch the food budget by shopping for the house. "Never pay full price" became her slogan as she clipped and used every coupon she could find. The "aha moment" came when one day I realized that this thing called a budget which was so useful at the group home could also be used in the Schaaf home. It might even stop some of the arguments we had about money "because she spends too much." To this day we are still using the format we learned there and, yes, it has pretty much completely eliminated friction over finances.

Our Pastor has called these times of tight finances God's "manna program" referring to the provision of just enough for the people of Israel during their wilderness experience. The truth is that lots of families start out with very little. Ours certainly did. It seems that the real assets during this time are often in the form of learning special skills, faithfulness, and building relationships far more than measurable wealth. My counsel to you is to meet with an older mentoring influence during this time who can help you identify what God might be trying to adjust in your character and skills.

The Bible says that "promotion comes from the Lord." Make it your goal, whatever your age or stage to be "promotable." Work hard, learn all you can, be faithful in service to your employer, and watch God open doors. There has been no rocket to the top for me - just fairly steady movement in the direction of increased ability and responsibility - and yes, income.

Next up - Creative provision, further education, and radical change.