into debt and out of debt- part 1

debt.

in my experience debt has been a dark cloud that hovers over you until you are free of it.
i don't remember when the dark cloud started to form over head, but i do remember seeing glimpses of blue skies as the cloud started to break and give way to light.

i can tell you how we got into debt, we didn't have any money, and we weren't responsible with the little money we had. when we got married i came into the relationship with 700.00 of debt, we got a credit card with a lower interest rate and determined to pay that off, but 6 years later that 700.00 had become $11,500 (the dark cloud).

i can justify why we were in debt, we didn't have any money (i said that already). we really didn't, we got married, and were pregnant 4 times in the first 5 years, i was out of work, and my hard working hubby was working low paying jobs. at one point we had 2 children and were bringing home 1600.00 a month.
we never bought anything big with the credit card (furniture, vacation, etc...). we bought groceries, utilities, needs, and meals out (and in all honesty, one too many of those).

i wonder if a few of you are thinking $11,500 is nothing to sweat about. it is when $250.00 of your $1600.00 is going to monthly payments, it is when your expecting another child (planned by God and not by us), it is when your dark cloud grows darker, and you can't juggle the finances anymore.

scripture says " you can not worship both God and money."
i learned that it is not just those who have money that worship it, but it is those that do not have money that worship it.
i was so consumed by the not having; by the worry, the fear, the frustration, the dark cloud, that i couldn't worship the only One worthy of my mind, soul, strength, and heart.

we had to get out of it...