Today was the 24th and the date of the 25th was playing around in my brain as the last possible date to pay the now past due utilities bill. If my utilities were turned off in this case it would mean no water, no electricity and no heat… a most unpleasant event to be avoided at all costs. More unpleasant that a phone call to a stranger. So we prayed our chaplet at 3 pm and I changed my request from the past few days from please help us pay the bill to ‘Please let the person in charge of my account give us an extension‘.
Then I screwed up my courage, drew a deeeeep breath and dialed the number, listened carefully as options had changed and then selected “2” to punch as that took me to a clerk who would assist me in making credit arrangements and then help my breath.
The phone rang and I was connected almost immediately. A good thing as I was starting to turn purple from holding my breath. A pleasant voice informed me that my phone was breaking up and could I please repeat what I had just said. I tried again, and added that it had been a difficult month and the bill was unusually large…
The nice lady on the other side of the wire paused for a moment as she perused my account and then nicely explained that it seemed we had a water leak somewhere and hence the 200 dollar increase in the bill and would November 3rd work as an extension.
I tried not to gasp my relief too loudly as I thanked her profusely for the extension and accepted her wishes that I have a blessed day. And then I hung up and thanked God. I thanked Him for the courage that He had given me to face my fears. I thanked Him for the extension we have been blessed with. And I thanked Him for the peace I feel despite the fact that I really do not understand why he is answering our prayers for help paying our bills in this way.
But as I wrote earlier, like Emma I want to turn the page and see what is next before it is time. I want to KNOW NOW and I want to know WHY? But I have to accept that I am not the author of my book, just the principle character. As such, I must be patient and wait for the Lord to reveal the answers to the deep mysteries that my family and I currently face.
And now I have another challenge - a leak. A rather expensive leak. Prayers please?
4 comments:
wow...it's really nice to hear I'm not the only person in the world who can't seem to keep on top of the bills (honestly, that's how I feel most times!).
I'm sort of in the same dilema; I just paid up most of our bills, but unfortunately dipping into the loan money my husband had set aside for renovating our bathroom! I sure hope the bathroom's not going to cost too much more....
I will definitely keep you in my prayers!
I will definitely keep you & the rest of your nest in my prayers. I'm so glad you managed to get the extension!
How wonderful! The leak, not so much, but the extnesion and how God took great care of you when you needed it. I will keep you in my prayers for finding that leak! We had one in our old townhouse...we found out it was the toliet that just kept going and going. Maybe the toliet is your issue!
Jen
Unfortunately I know just how that goes. My husband was off work for almost three months at the beginning of the year for some surgery on his hands. ( work related ) We normally live pay to pay as it is and the loss of overtime and the lower than normal sick pay payments have left us behind on most of our bills. This is really stressful for me as my husband lost a job about ten years ago and we had a very tough time before God blessed us with a new and better job which even allowed me to quit working a minimum wage job and stay home with the children. I have the same anxiety about talking to creditors as you do . I frequently dodge phone calls but as you stated, sometimes have to make or take that call. I will continue to pray for your family's financial needs and humbly ask you to pray for mine.
Post a Comment