Twenty-Cents

No matter how hard I try to keep myself motivated to do laundry once a week, it just doesn’t happen. I usually end up washing every other week, which leaves me with having to do two washes and two dries at the same time. At total of: $5.50.

Today, I gathered my dirty laundry and my laundry soap and then started to count out my change. I knew I had to do two full loads so I started to count out – one dollar, two dollars, three dollars, four dollars and fifty cents.

I was short one dollar. I asked my roommate if she had a dollar in change that I could use, she didn’t. I then proceeded to raid my poor painted piggy bank for extra change.

I am, again, in a place where I don’t have a lot of extra money to spend. Especially at the moment - Thomas is starving, my cabinets are bare and my checking account is in the single dollar digits. So here I am raiding my little piggy bank meant for savings.

I was able to find dimes and nickels; all I needed was twenty cents. I was so close! I went down stairs placed both my loads in and then walked back upstairs to find twenty cents. I was determined to find that twenty cents, I mean how hard is it to find twenty cents?

I came to find out - that it’s extremely hard. I re-raided my piggy, searched through every inch of my wallet and searched through all the containers I keep change in. I found countless pennies, but that wouldn’t work.

The longer I searched the closer it came to me having to switch my clothes from the washer to the drier and I was short on change to dry one load. I decided I would go out to Thomas and raid him. On my way to Thomas I continued to search the ground. You know how when you’re not looking for spare change you find it all the time. Apparently, this concept doesn’t work when you’re actually looking for it.

I raid Thomas and I find fifteen cents. FIFTEEN CENTS! ‘Are you serious?!’ I continued to search through Thomas, threatening him to give up the last five cents - he didn’t.

By this time I’m becoming slightly overwhelmed and annoyed. I gave up on Thomas and decided to go back in. Again, I’m searching the ground for five cents.

‘Really God? I can’t just find five cents! I mean how hard is it to find five cents? Come on Lord! One nickel, I need a nickel! Just give me a dang nickel!!’

I walk back to the apartment, take a deep breath and look around the room. I look through my piggy one more time – nothing. I pick up my wallet, unzip the zipper and there, sitting in the change section is a nickel - one nickel, nothing else. I take the nickel out and hold it in my hand.

And at that exact moment I could hear God say: ‘There’s your dang nickel.’ I close my hand around the nickel, smile and shake my head. No matter how hard times get and how angry or upset I am – the Lord always provides.

And this time, He used me. He used me to provide for myself. Sure, my roommate could have had the change. Or I could have found the change on the ground. Or I could have run into my friend in the elevator sooner and they would have given me the change.

But no – God decided to use my money to provide and not others. He showed me that I can support myself. He showed me, that He will support me through me and that I don’t have to rely or ask others for help - all the time.

‘I’ll always provide for you. And you can provide for yourself. You can do it. You’ll be alright.’

wash-wash

I’ve been trying to get myself on a regular schedule. Get certain tasks done on a certain day, get things paid by a certain date, budget my money, etc. I’m trying my hardest to get myself organized.

One of the tasks of my life I’m currently trying to get consistency in is laundry. I’ve been trying to figure out what day is a good day, what laundry mat to use, what time has the less amount of people, etc. Everything is about timing. Not to mention skill and a balancing act. It’s ridiculous how much stuff I take with me into a laundry mat.

Today I walked into the laundry mat in one trip, I was pretty impressed. I place all my belongings down, I place the clothes into the washer, put in my soap, and then I walk over to the coin exchange. I walk back look at machine and notice that the number on the screen shows ‘1,’ meaning I only need to put one quarter in. I blink, step back and look at the other machines, they’re all showing ‘10’ ($2.50 a wash). I look back at my machine question it and then place in one quarter, the screen begins to blink, I lock the door and hit start, and my clothes begin to spin.

I smile as I watch my clothes getting washed knowing that I was greatly blessed. That’s another $2.25 I can save for next week’s wash. I’ve been a little worried about money lately. Like I stated, I’m trying to get my life in order, so with that I’m trying to pay off my debt. So I don’t have a whole lot of money lying around.

I go and sit as I smile and laugh to myself knowing that God see’s me.
He see’s my efforts, my struggles and my need’s.
He sees me.
And He’s more than happy to help - just to see me smile.