"technically" unnecessary (part 2 of 3)

I want to preface this post by saying that it is not my intention to brag.  
Quite the opposite - I am confident that we would have very little of the "unnecessary" things we have had we not been relying upon God's provision.

So...it's not me, it's not us, it's God.
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I think I'd be correct in stating that Tim and I try to live on a modest budget. 
And though we don't have an overabundance, but we are still able to put dollars and cents towards events or possessions that we truly care about. 

In this particular instance, to lead off this particular post - I want to say that we truly cared about getting a trampoline for our family.
...We've got so many little bodies around here, pumped with all sorts of adrenaline - just itching to be used.  And despite our urging, they never seemed very motivated when we tell them to "go outside and run around." :)

Enter trampoline.
Who DOESN'T like to bounce? :)
I looked at Craigslist, Ebay and clearance sites for all the main stores - nothing I'd consider as a fair deal. The 'price tags' on even these used items were much too close to new....and they didn't look new.
Pass.
Maybe this WAS something we'd have to really save for...

I switched gears.
You see, I had a promise under 'lock and key' from my husband saying that as soon as we moved to a place that allowed a fire pit...we could get one.
*triumphant whoop*
Sugary treats give the opposite of an energy outlet, but s'mores are so good!!  And gathering around the fire equals family togetherness, and lets face it - fun.

I could not, however, find a clearance fire pit. And 'used' was more of a joke than the trampoline.
But all in all the new pit price was doable.
So we decided.
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It was a Monday morning and Cale and I were going to a dentist appointment.  If he was good, he could help me pick out a pit afterwards.
But we didn't make it to the store that day, because the hope of buying anything unnecessary was no longer on the radar.

I dread going to the dentist.
I never walk out of there and call Tim with good news.  "Guess what honey?  They found gold in my mouth!"
No...I brace myself for bad news.  Because as it is, I've inherited my dad's problematic teeth.

No lie, when I was a kid - I had a tooth growing from the roof of my mouth.
The roof of it - you know where your tongue touches?  Yep, there.
I can remember feeling it and saying "Hey Mommy, I think there's a rock in my mouth..."
No rock - an extra tooth to be extracted.
In fact, extraction was a fairly normal occurrence for me when I visited the dentist.
Our childhood dentist, Dr. Smiley (no joke) was always sending me home with one less tooth in my mouth.
He pulled my last baby tooth in 8th grade.  8TH!!
It didn't grow back until I was 14!!
I got hit in the face in a basketball, resulting in a root canal at age 17.
Just this past year I had a cyst removed from my upper gum-line.
And I've had more cavities and fillings than my kids have had stinky diapers (...jk).
All that to say, "problematic" may be an understatement....

But, like I said, I was prepared for the bad news - and asked for the damage (literally and figure-wise).
My mind fuzzed as she told me I needed 3 crowns, and at least 3 small cavities filled....
Total estimated cost?
About $3500.

We wanted to stretch ourselves with this pledge - we didn't want to bail just when it got started up...but options looked limited.
Renege on our commitment, or watch my teeth fall out.
I'm pretty sure I cried a little bit. And we prayed for God's guidance.

I didn't know what to do - I felt like this was ultimately my decision - Tim wasn't going to make me get the work done, and he wasn't going to make me wait for 3 years...

So, I did what any frustrated person would do - I told Facebook.
I put one statement as my "status update:"
Dentist bill: $3500, I'm still laughing.....

And as I assumed, I got some jeers and condolences...but unexpectedly, I also got a glimmer of hope.
God works in all situations. 
He can even use a Facebook pity party.

I have a relative that is a dentist. And via Facebook, she offered her assistance.
I figured if nothing else I could ask her just exactly which of these things needed to be done...and if I could get away with saving some money by opting for large fillings instead of the crowns...
I knew she would be able to tell me the truth and steer me in the right direction...

But more than that was done - she offered to do the work for me.
At no cost.
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Praising God is no joke.
It should be done privately and publicly...
Tim was able to share this testimony of God's provision at church the next Sunday.
God provides!  He wants us to trust Him.  He WANTS to provide for us!!
And He does.

To full-circle this event and add icing to the cake - we were actually able to get both the trampoline and the firepit... 
The night I found out about this teeth thing I was struggling.
And while my prayers were for God's help with this decision, I may have slipped in another little request "...and if we could find a free trampoline, that'd be great too." ;)
The very next morning I found 2 free trampolines on Craigslist.  

I also found free firewood for our firepit.
And not long after the trampoline, I found a pit for $30.

It's pure awesomeness, right?!  Still blows me away.


One might tell me that I may have found that stuff without faith.
I suppose I could have...people find good deals all the time....
But I can't discredit God.
He's everywhere, seeing everything, and He's active in our lives - answering prayers...
Sometimes in obvious ways, and sometimes in miracles...............

Which brings us up to speed for the next post.
When the "unanswered" gets answered.