~* Ash *~
Five months ago, I spent the entire day in bed crying.
In college, I'd accepted two scholarships from the government in the total amount of $50,000 in exchange for three years of service after I finished school.... Well, they didn't count on me being in school for 6+ more years!
Even though I was totally transparent with my plans to apply for and attend a PhD program and came back every summer to work, the government wanted me to start full-time in June of this year. If I didn't come back, then fine -- I just owed them $24, 641.38 (the monetary equivalent of my remaining service time).
They told me this in March, and I had to pay in full by June.
I looked at my savings account, I looked at my brokerage account, I looked into getting loans, I applied for fellowships that were a long-shot for me to get, and I even considered borrowing money from friends and family. This still was not enough to cover the debt that I owed.
I was resigned to quit school with about 2 years remaining in my program. I was going to have to uproot my life in Michigan. I was going to have to suffer through a long-distance relationship with Lu. The worst part: This was all for a job that was "fun and exciting" at 19 but work that I dreaded doing at 25.
Defeated, I cried -- all day..... But I also did something else, I prayed. In fact, Lu and I prayed together.
I knew that God wanted me to finish my degree, and I knew that God had put Lu in my life for the purpose of marriage. I just had no idea how He wanted us to get there. After doing everything humanly possible that I could think of, I just had to turn it over to Him.
The first answer to my prayer didn't even involve me directly. Lu was awarded an NSF Fellowship that gave him more money than his regular stipend. Then on the day he proposed, literally on the way to the park where he got down on one knee, I received an email telling me that I was awarded a $10,000 scholarship from our graduate school.
A few days later, I found out that I had access to an account that I thought was blocked. Scraping together my fellowship and exhausting my savings, I walked in to work, wrote a check for the full amount. I was broke, but I was free.
Today, I just made another step toward freedom: Lu and I made the last payment for our wedding, and we are NOT in debt.
I totaled things up and realized that Lu and I have paid over $40,000 in the last five months -- between my debt to the government, everything for the wedding, and furniture for our condo.
The most awesome thing is that I have no idea where it came from, and we have a surplus!
We both got fellowships, we both worked part-time jobs this summer, our parents helped out with about a quarter of the wedding costs, we sold some of our old furniture on Craigslist, and we've received gifts at our bridal showers. This is still nowhere near the amount that we have paid out over the last several months.
All I have to say is that with me free to finish my degree, with the wedding pretty much paid off, and with Lu and I moving forward with savings: We are blessed, and God is good.
In college, I'd accepted two scholarships from the government in the total amount of $50,000 in exchange for three years of service after I finished school.... Well, they didn't count on me being in school for 6+ more years!
Even though I was totally transparent with my plans to apply for and attend a PhD program and came back every summer to work, the government wanted me to start full-time in June of this year. If I didn't come back, then fine -- I just owed them $24, 641.38 (the monetary equivalent of my remaining service time).
They told me this in March, and I had to pay in full by June.
I looked at my savings account, I looked at my brokerage account, I looked into getting loans, I applied for fellowships that were a long-shot for me to get, and I even considered borrowing money from friends and family. This still was not enough to cover the debt that I owed.
I was resigned to quit school with about 2 years remaining in my program. I was going to have to uproot my life in Michigan. I was going to have to suffer through a long-distance relationship with Lu. The worst part: This was all for a job that was "fun and exciting" at 19 but work that I dreaded doing at 25.
Defeated, I cried -- all day..... But I also did something else, I prayed. In fact, Lu and I prayed together.
I knew that God wanted me to finish my degree, and I knew that God had put Lu in my life for the purpose of marriage. I just had no idea how He wanted us to get there. After doing everything humanly possible that I could think of, I just had to turn it over to Him.
The first answer to my prayer didn't even involve me directly. Lu was awarded an NSF Fellowship that gave him more money than his regular stipend. Then on the day he proposed, literally on the way to the park where he got down on one knee, I received an email telling me that I was awarded a $10,000 scholarship from our graduate school.
A few days later, I found out that I had access to an account that I thought was blocked. Scraping together my fellowship and exhausting my savings, I walked in to work, wrote a check for the full amount. I was broke, but I was free.
Today, I just made another step toward freedom: Lu and I made the last payment for our wedding, and we are NOT in debt.
I totaled things up and realized that Lu and I have paid over $40,000 in the last five months -- between my debt to the government, everything for the wedding, and furniture for our condo.
The most awesome thing is that I have no idea where it came from, and we have a surplus!
We both got fellowships, we both worked part-time jobs this summer, our parents helped out with about a quarter of the wedding costs, we sold some of our old furniture on Craigslist, and we've received gifts at our bridal showers. This is still nowhere near the amount that we have paid out over the last several months.
All I have to say is that with me free to finish my degree, with the wedding pretty much paid off, and with Lu and I moving forward with savings: We are blessed, and God is good.
Aw Coolness!!!
I feel a praise coming on...Praise God!!! None greater than He.
when you're doing God's will, He will make a way out of no way!!!
I absolutely love this post!! Thanks for sharing this testimony... All things work together for the good...!!!!
Loving this post as well!! Awesome story! :) Bring on the praise!
Thanks, ladies! It's crazy. Even when I sit down to do the calculations (and you know I've tried!), it makes no earthly sense that Jeremy and I are not in extreme debt right now. I just had to share. :-)