God has blessed me and my family in many ways since Albert’s stroke. God knows that the man that he created needs food, shelter, and clothing, and promised that he would bless them if they kept His commandments. We’re his children and we kept his commandments.
One of my most vivid blessings during the early time of Albert’s stroke is God’s promise to take care of Albert, Jordan and me because we are his children. God said in Matthew 6:31-33, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ …For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ‘But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.’
After my initial shock when hearing about Albert’s stroke and beginning our new ‘normal” life together, I had an inward calm. I went about my days believing that God would take care of us and the situation that we were in. Spiritually and emotionally we relied on God, studying his word and worshipping Him continually, but financially we struggled. We had a lot of bills and owed lots of people lots of money. We had a house note, a second mortgage on the house, everyday bills, and even worse, credit card debt. It seemed like the debt was unending.
One of the first ways that God blessed us was allowing Albert’s employer to continued to pay him. After applying for social security, Albert received full disability benefits. His partial salary and the disability check allowed our family to receive the same amount of money that Albert was making before the stroke. This was crucial for our family as Albert was going from the hospital to different rehabilitation centers.
I learned quickly that with only one person in the family spending money, there was more money in the household. I was able to begin catching up on bills. Bill collectors called me during the day and in the evening. When they called, I answered the phone, but after a while, I stopped answering their calls. I refused to let them stress me out. I was doing the best that I could do at the moment.
One day in April, I got a bill from the gas company saying that I hadn’t paid the gas bill for the past four months. I was told that if I didn’t pay the bill within the week, the gas to the house would be turned off. I didn’t realize that the bill hadn’t been paid and paid it immediately. I didn’t know what I didn’t know, but I learned and took charge of paying the bills.
Over time I was able to pay off many bills. It was harder than I thought it would be and there were months when money was slim. Shopping for extras wasn’t an option, but I made sure that Jordan and Albert had the things that he needed. I was able to keep food on the table, a roof over our heads, and all of us clothed. God also blessed Albert, Jordan, and me with peace, grace and mercy. God has blessed us immensely. He kept his promise.
Learning to Live Life and Loving it - Carol Johnson Blogs 