Credit When Credit's Due

I've never been a "I-lost-my-keys-and-then-prayed-and-then-poof!-there-they-were" type of girl. I believe that Heavenly Father can and does intervene at times...for you, not necessarily for me. Not that I'm bitter; I'm not. Instead, I believe that Heavenly Father gave me a brain and that I am expected to use it. And I do. It's that simple. However, in the past 24 hours I've had an experience I cannot chalk up to my genius alone.

Here's the long, long story reduced to only semi-long: In yesterday's mail Chuck and I find that our mortgage holder has found that our escrow account is running a deficit. (And this coming the day that I'm already feeling incredibly financially tapped; it was not a good day.) In order to fix this, we must either pay $2,000 immediately or spread that $2,000 over the next year, by an increase in our mortgage of nearly $200 per month. This increase would not be an easy thing for us, in fact it would be nearly devastating. After the tears evaporated (or were licked, I forget which), I spent a lot of time on the phone with those I deem on par with HR workers: idiots, in other words. In addition to the stress of the mortgage escrow account problems I find that I have not received a property tax credit that I was due months ago. But the good news: I might be on a list somewhere to receive said credit. Oh the joy.

When Chuck, Rhett, and I say our family prayers that night, we pray that things will work out. I silently plead for the blessings of tithe paying to come upon us as, well, we're faithful tithe payers.

Here's where the story gets good (and ends): In all of my research and hours and hours of being on the phone today, I am able to put together all of the pieces of this sordid tale. I find that not only is my escrow account not in shortage, but the mortgage company prepaid my taxes through the end of the year (hence the shortage). And that tax credit? Being mailed to me. Today. From owing $2,000 to receiving nearly $600--that's a $2,600 swing people.

The moral for me: Yes, Heavenly Father can and does intercede, even for me. I still have to work for it, however. That doesn't mean that I'm any less grateful however. But don't you worry; I haven't gone all crazy religious on you. I don't expect steaks on my doorstep, well, not yet anyway. (See the fourth story.)