We Want a motorcycle, but should we HAVE it?

We have so many things to thank God for in this world.  We can thank Him for taking care of our food and shelter needs.  We can thank Him for taking care of our Spiritual needs, and we can even thank Him for taking care of our wants.  But, what happens when one of our greatest wants is realized, but we don't know if it is appropriate timing?

So here's the thing.  I can pour out my heart on this blog because I know that God called me to be honest about my flaws and imperfections, and that's why I've been writing here.  So, it may be a surprise, but it really shouldn't surprise anyone to learn that we are up to our eyeballs in student debt.  And, by "up to our eyeballs" I mean like 100K in debt and not able to pay any of it right now.  We have defaulted on lots and lots of loans (like at least 10 but probably more).  In fact, we were recently sued by two different companies, who can possibly garnish wages in the future.

And here's another thing.  We have been called by God to serve Him!  We are striving so hard to be in prayer and humble about receiving God's Grace and Gifts that he has poured out on us.   We are trying to share what He has given us with those who need it, and we are cognizant of how much He has actually given us despite our indebtedness.   Our Hearts are God's and we just want Him to use us to bring others close to Him!!!  And God has given us so much, first in His Son, Jesus, and also in fulfilling our immediate needs.

So finally, what am I trying to get at today? We may have won a $13,700 Harley Davidson Motorcycle.  Yikes.  This is amazing, exciting, and really really strange all at once.  Background: Paul and I are sitting at a Bar and Grill restaurant having a date night approximately a month ago.  We probably ordered something like a burger for BOGO1/2 off night. (Buy one get one 1/2 off).  We were talking about maybe the upcoming school year or something to that effect when we spied a triangle folded card on the back corner of our table.  It read something like: Scan this bar code to enter a sweepstakes, Win a Harley Davidson Street Bob.  So, we both got out our smartphones and entered the sweeps.

Background, Background: Paul and I both have our motorcycle endorsement on our licenses, as we took a course together maybe 4-5 years ago.  Paul drives an old 1980's Honda bike, that my dad graciously gave him, to work in the spring, summer, and fall months.  This saves us on gas, immensely, and also provides an outlet for Paul's wild-at-heart side.  And, as a bonus, I get to ride on the back sometimes--when we get a sitter for the kids.  One of our dreams is to own a Harley...and ride it...a lot.

So, we have a dilemma.  We have possibly won a dream come true for us, but we owe $$$$$ to the government and other forces.  What to do.  Well, first we have to be realistic.  We only won two thirds of the motorcycle and have to pay about 30% in taxes.  Let's break this down.  We will actually owe $4,050 at tax time.  So not cool.  So, we can say that if we sell it right away for $13,000, we will only really have $9,000 to work with.  Then, if we also tithe on the win, it would be $1,350 less dollars, which is $7,650.  Ok, now we have a working number.  With 7,650 dollars we could pay off one of our judgements (from being sued) and still come out with about $3,000 for a nice new bike.

But is it a sin to not sell it for 2/3 profit and pay down our debt?  Is it a sin to accept this as a gift from God to help us with gas money in the warmer months.  Is it a sin to sell it and keep a portion of the profit so we can buy a new motorcycle?  What is justifiable and what is sensible?  I think the entirely sensible thing would be to trust God that we will get another chance at a bike and sell it to pay off some of our debts.  I think it would be entirely more sensible to not keep any portion of the money, but rather make sense of it as a monetary blessing in disguise.

However, I really want a motorcycle, but I want to honor God by paying our debts.  So, I think paying some of our debts and keeping a small portion of the money for a new bike sounds like a good plan.  I'm up for suggestions!  What do you think?  Also, keep in mind that this blessing fell on my husband, and not on only me.  He has to make a choice and we both have to be okay with the choice.  And, I choose to not fight about any choice he makes.  If he makes the (seemingly) wrong choice (in my eyes) and in the eyes of those more sensible, then so be it.  I will be a loving wife.  After all, this is only a moment in time--and in God's eyes, maybe it's not so important in the long run.

Good things need preparation!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have everything you want right now?  Have you ever been impatient and wanted a job, a house, or a situation to magically come into being immediately?  Although God shows us his power to work immediate miracles in the Bible, He also takes his time working everything together toward His greater good.

For example, we read in Mark 2: 1-12 about a man being lowered through the roof for healing.  Jesus tells him his sins are forgiven, and to get up and walk.  God can certainly heal people in a very fast manner, and seemingly on a whim.  However, we as readers are often unaware of the behind the scenes preparations that go into such miracles.  We can only read what is written, but we might suppose that some forethought had to happen to get those men together in the first place.  After all, they were friends with the paralyzed man, and who knows how long they were hanging out together?  We cannot know, but we can suppose that it didn't take merely a minute, or  hour, or even a day to bring about this miracle.  These men had to form a friendship, hear about Jesus, form some faith, and then plan to get together and bring their friend to see Jesus.  I'm guessing it didn't happen overnight.

When I was asking God what He wanted to teach me today through His Word, I heard a little voice in the corner of my mind saying "One thing at a time."  Then, as I started going through Luke 1, it hit me!  There were intricate preperations for Jesus' birth.  I know that Jesus' birth was no quick healing, and that it is profoundly more important than we can even fathom to comprehend in a lifetime; but it is still a work of God just like many more works of God found in the Bible and in our own lives as believers.  And, I believe the one commonality is that God prepares for good things.  

In Luke 1:1-12, the Bible says that God prepared the way for Jesus by helping Zechariah and Elizabeth conceive a son, who would be John the Baptist.  Then, he prepared Zechariah by telling him (through the angel) that John would prepare the people for the coming of Jesus.  After that, he prepared both Mary and Joseph for the coming of the Savior.  

So many preparation went into Jesus' birth, and so much preparation happens in our lives as well.  Just as we may not always see the back story in the Bible, sometimes we cannot see how we are being prepared in our own lives for God's greater good.  One example of this is happening in my own life right now.  Currently I am without a full time job and we are in debt up to our earlobes in school loans.  Sometimes we don't see how we are going to pay our bills and eat, but God has always provided a way.  Even when some of the things that happen seem scary or hard, God is preparing our lives for something better.  I know this because Romans 8:28 says,   "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."  

Sometimes we get fearful of the future and we want a miracle to happen immediately.  I am definitely guilty of this.  Yet, we must always be aware that our lives are preparations for something better.  I know I love the Lord and I've been called to serve Him.  Because I know this, I can also know that He is working constantly for my good.  It might not always be what I want, but I know that it's what I need at the time.  

So, after all that, Peace to you today.  May you know that by the Grace of God, He is working everything toward the greater good and making preparations in your life.