Wading in the Morass (Or, Addressing the Money Question)
I wrote a few weeks ago on being in a tougher financial spot than I'd like, and, in the time from then to now, I've been trying to navigate the morass of "Where do we go from here?"
That's a big question. While I don't doubt that I need to continue with my studies and push through to that D.O., a number of lingering questions echo through my mind. How am I going to get us out of this hole? How will we pay this debt? Will we be able to pay the electricity? Will we be able to pay the car note? These are pretty major questions that directly affect our quality of life. To that end we've started looking for freelance work, sources of odd jobs online that can work with the schedule of new parents and a med student. I'm trying my hand at transcription work, which I'm finding pays far less for my little free time than I had over-optimistically hoped. My wife's trying her hand at an internet search/advertisement quality company. I've looked at blogging (no get-rich-quick scheme that - and I've juggled various blogs with varyingly minimal success for 7 years, now), I've researched tons of articles on internet freelancing from small bloggers to Penny Hoarders, to Forbes...
These things are all well and good, but they all rely on that time value of money - that as you put in your time, as you work diligently at something, eventually your efforts will yield reward, which will compound and snowball - and, as I alluded, time isn't exactly on our side.
So, then, what remains? Shall I continue to spin my wheels in the ceaseless muck of futility or do I change my approach? I'm not saying that I give up and stop trying to do my part in remedying this mess, but, maybe I need to go back to plan A, the plan I started out with at the beginning of this season: prayer.
I'll continue to attempt to work and strive to make better-faith efforts at working than I have been, because I see value in work, in taking the opportunity to take responsibility for one's failures, and I understand that work is worship, that striving to take care of my family is worship, but I will not work under the assumption that I can fix this problem on my own any longer, by my own ability. At the end of the day I need a miraculous provision of God, and I will work, and I will pray, and I will hope in His provision. After all, He has shown in His word that He provides for His children, just as He has shown that He keeps the promises He as made.
That's a big question. While I don't doubt that I need to continue with my studies and push through to that D.O., a number of lingering questions echo through my mind. How am I going to get us out of this hole? How will we pay this debt? Will we be able to pay the electricity? Will we be able to pay the car note? These are pretty major questions that directly affect our quality of life. To that end we've started looking for freelance work, sources of odd jobs online that can work with the schedule of new parents and a med student. I'm trying my hand at transcription work, which I'm finding pays far less for my little free time than I had over-optimistically hoped. My wife's trying her hand at an internet search/advertisement quality company. I've looked at blogging (no get-rich-quick scheme that - and I've juggled various blogs with varyingly minimal success for 7 years, now), I've researched tons of articles on internet freelancing from small bloggers to Penny Hoarders, to Forbes...
These things are all well and good, but they all rely on that time value of money - that as you put in your time, as you work diligently at something, eventually your efforts will yield reward, which will compound and snowball - and, as I alluded, time isn't exactly on our side.
So, then, what remains? Shall I continue to spin my wheels in the ceaseless muck of futility or do I change my approach? I'm not saying that I give up and stop trying to do my part in remedying this mess, but, maybe I need to go back to plan A, the plan I started out with at the beginning of this season: prayer.
I'll continue to attempt to work and strive to make better-faith efforts at working than I have been, because I see value in work, in taking the opportunity to take responsibility for one's failures, and I understand that work is worship, that striving to take care of my family is worship, but I will not work under the assumption that I can fix this problem on my own any longer, by my own ability. At the end of the day I need a miraculous provision of God, and I will work, and I will pray, and I will hope in His provision. After all, He has shown in His word that He provides for His children, just as He has shown that He keeps the promises He as made.
Comments
Post a Comment