Monday, July 7, 2014

I Guess I'm an "In-Case" Kind of Girl

I’m a “saver.” I like to save things. I save money “in case of emergency.” I like to have extra food on hand “in case of company.” I save clothes even though I don’t like them “in case I need them or find replacements.”

I guess I’m an “in case” girl. I want to be prepared. Equipped. Not caught off guard.

I’m not a hoarder, mind you. It’s always just a “little” extra. Probably not even enough to really address an emergency if a big one came up. After all, how far can $100 extra dollars go if you are in a car accident and have major medical bills?

But it makes me happy. It makes me feel safe.

God tells us not to worry about what we will eat or drink. He tells us to just deal with whatever is in front of us – today. It’s usually enough to occupy our minds! So, worrying and planning for things that aren’t even here yet? Well, He says not to.

What does that mean for a “saver” and “in case” planner type of girl like me?

It means I need to have more faith and trust in the God I adore so much. It means I should enjoy my today more – because my tomorrow is not guaranteed.

There are many things I’ve waited to get. That new piece of furniture, for example. I’ve waited until I found the exact, right piece, or waited for it to wear out. I’ve had a hard time getting rid of things that I don’t like anymore or where my preferences have changed, if they aren’t falling apart.  And most of the time, I end up continuing to wait. I have things that just aren’t “me” anymore. I have things that I don’t enjoy as much as I could.

I don’t believe in being wasteful with our money, our time, or our things. I’m actually pretty frugal. But I do believe that sometimes we should allow ourselves the freedom to relax and enjoy the blessings we’ve been given a little bit more. Joy shouldn’t be such a rare commodity. We should embrace the fun things in life and trust God to help provide for us – as long as we are using wisdom with what we’ve been given and where we’ve been placed.

I want to be wise. I want to stretch my dollar and so I probably will always be a “saver” in some form or capacity. But I also want to have the good sense to know when to throw caution to the wind and just enjoy a moment and enjoy a blessing without thinking of the cost that came with it.


It’s possible. It can be done. And I can still feel happy and safe.

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