My husband has been driving a truck over-the-road for the
past 14 years. In January he made a sudden decision to “hang up his keys” and
get a job so he could be home. We were aware that this decision would create a
financial challenge, but we thought it would be worth it to have him home. Wow!
We could not imagine how challenging it would be. With only two days of driving
left, the differential went out on the truck, resulting in repairs exceeding
$7,000 before we could even put the truck up for sale. The truck, on which we owe
approximately $60,000, has not sold, no longer produces income, and still
requires a sizable monthly payment. Our fixed expenses exceed my husband’s new
take home pay by $800 a month. The good news is we were forced to reevaluate
and study our non-fixed expenses as we urgently searched for ways to cut back.
In so doing, we discovered we had a water leak. (I had thought the increase in
our water bill was due to the fact that a son was doing his laundry at home.)
It is very satisfying to plug two leaks, one of water and another of money to pay
for that unused water.
I got out Larry Burkett’s budget guidelines and compared his
percentages to what we were spending. We are overspending on insurance, car, and
house. We are in the process of bringing one of those areas into line with our new
income. Please pray for us to have the courage to deal with the other two! God provided
a little three-hour-per-day job for me. I will only earn $400 per month— half
of our shortfall—but it is in food service, so God is richly feeding us because
I am allowed to bring home food that cannot be served a second day. The most awesome thing about this
experience is the sense of God’s loving, nonjudgmental presence. I know it is
our foolishness that has brought us to this point, but He just offers us grace.
When I only had enough money to pay the principal on the truck loan, I followed
your counsel to communicate with those whom we owe.
Along with the check for the principal, I sent a note, explaining that we had put the truck up for sale, that I had taken a job, that we were aware of our debt and intended to pay it in full. In just a few days, we got a fat letter from the loan company. I was sick at heart, fully expecting it to be a reproof and threat. Instead, we found that they were rewriting our loan, giving us grace in the month of April (no monthly payment due), charging us basically only principal in May, and then beginning us with monthly payments again in June. With an income tax payment due in April, this grace gift is so appreciated. God has shown me how to be creative with the resources I have. He has reminded me that He provided enough manna for one day at a time, and He has uplifted me with gracious prayer—and notes from Crown.
Sincerely,
John and Ann
Editor’s note: Since this letter was written, John and Ann’s
truck has sold. They had used two loans (from different creditors) to buy the truck
and hoped to make enough to pay off both creditors. The price for which the
truck sold was enough to pay off one of the loans, with an additional $101
remaining. The creditor issued them a check for this amount. They have four
payments remaining on the other loan.
