Married at 19 years old, I went straight from my parents' home right into marriage. Before long, I was suddenly single with two children to raise. There was so much I didn't know. I didn't know how to balance a checkbook or how to make the gasoline go into the car, let alone how to change a tire, check the oil, etc. And I didn't know how to light the furnace. That first summer, when the heating unit on the house needed to be turned over to the cooling unit, rather than bother Dad or anyone, I tried to "clean" the squirrel cage on the cooler, which was on top of the house, by squirting water on it and scrubbing the calcium deposits off the fan blades. The water which I squirted went directly into the house. What a mess! I sure wished I'd asked for help!
Of all the challenges, finances were especially hard. Having been a two-income family, there was less than half the income that had been there. I had a house payment, car payment, insurance, two children to feed and clothe—and put through church schools—all on $554 twice a month and another $250 a month child support. There was no financial help when funds ran low. I would not ask my parents, and I would not ask for help from the church.
I knew so little about the cost of running a household. I believed in God's promises though. "'Bring ye all the tithe into the storehouse, and prove Me now herewith,' saith the Lord of Hosts, 'if I will not pour you out a blessing such as there will not be room enough to receive it.'" Another place in the Bible promised that our needs would be met. So, I set my priorities. Every time money came in, the first check I wrote was the check to the church for my tithe and offering. Next, I paid the church school bill, followed by the mortgage, car payment, and insurance. Then food and clothes—there was very little left over.
And the blessings poured in!
I remember one time, when my daughter Tonya wore shoes with big holes in them. There was no money to purchase new ones for at least two weeks. Although she didn't complain, I knew it was hard on her—on me, too. But I didn't say anything to anyone. My parents must have figured it out because one day, when they kept the children after school, they took Tonya shopping and bought the much-needed shoes.
Another time, there was so little food in the house. I didn't tell the children because I didn't want them to worry. But it was serious. I kept a prayer in my heart, and reminded God of the promise He'd made. When I went to pick up the children from my parents' home that Friday afternoon, Mom and Dad told how they had been to a Trico dinner and meeting—a meeting about the electricity at the family cabin. There had been door prizes, and they won a $50 gift certificate to Lucky Grocery, which they shared with us.
One day, the refrigerator went out. I called a man from church I knew was in that line of work. He and his wife came over that day. He got the refrigerator going again, and would not take a penny for his evening's work. He said it was his gift—his way of thanking God for the blessings God had given him. He fixed that old refrigerator twice, and kept it going until I could afford a newer one.
One day, a friend at church handed me a bag. It was full of brand new shoes, just my size. Her sister collected shoes and, hearing about me, found that we wore the same size. I've never had so many new shoes at one time—ever! I had never even met the woman who gave them to me.
Then there was the time that my son was so sick. Jonathan had asthma as a child. I took him to an Adventist doctor who we could call on whenever needed. He was such a blessing so many times! Somehow, the way the insurance was, the children were covered, but I had to spend about $200 before insurance would kick in for me. It might as well have been $2,000. One time, when I took Jonathan for a check-up, the doctor realized I was sick, too. He gave us samples, and some of the samples were especially for me. He was such a blessing. I could call him in the middle of the night when Jonathan would have an asthma attack. He would meet us at the office and give the necessary shots so that Jonathan could breathe. And he never complained, like it was something that was just a part of life to get out of bed and drive to the office at 2 a.m. Come to think of it, it probably was!
How I was able to get and keep the children in church school and academy still seems like a miracle to me. There were a number of times that I didn't know how the bill was going to be paid yet, somehow, when it came right down to it, when the due date came, the money was there.
And blessings! My how the Lord has blessed. He gave me my Jim. As a child, I had dreamed of marrying a farmer and living in the country and teaching school. There is a text that promises that God will give us the desires of our hearts. Well, He has certainly kept that promise! Jim. My little mini-horses. The little, old white and red barn. Children in my classroom. Yes, there are so many blessings that there is hardly room!
As my grandmother told me when she was older, "Karen Sue, I don't know what the future holds, but I do know Who holds the future." It was good advice for me at the time, and it still holds true today.
Paying tithe is a privilege! It is a test. It is a blessing! I know personally that God keeps His promises. God is so good! I know that my needs will be met in the years to come as long as I continue to listen to and obey His instructions for my life.
Karen Olson teaches kindergarten, first, and second grades at Cicero Adventist Elementary School in Cicero, Indiana. In her "spare time," Karen raises miniature horses and sells them to benefit Christian education and investment. See some of her horses at www.lakeunionherald.org in the online version.
