I’m honored to have Amy here at my place today. Amy has a huge heart – generous and kind. I’m impressed with her every time I read her blog. Thanks so much for sharing here today, Amy. I’m really glad you’re here!
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I’ve had a great time getting to know Jamie through the blogosphere, especially through Summer of 7. God has been dealing with me for years about excess and cutting back in hopes of helping others. Summer of 7 was another part of that journey and I’m thankful Jamie was a part of it. Recently, though, God has been dealing with me about cutting back.
My entire extended family is eight hours away. For over 30 years, we’ve traveled back and forth at least twice a year visiting. Up until recently, we’ve been able to stay with family but as some family members have passed on and our own family has grown, we’ve moved on to staying with my parents’ empty-nest friends (we’re pictured above visiting one Christmas at their house).
When we go, it feels like we’re at a second home. The kitchen is open when we’re hungry, the computer is open if we need to send an email, and the pool is open for our enjoyment. At Christmas, they’ve bought our children gifts even though we’re not related and we’re staying at their house. In the summer, they go to the local creamery and stock up on ice cream and fresh sprinkled waffle cones. I can’t begin to tell you how welcome and loved we feel when we stay there. They have taught me pure, unadulterated grace.
So while God has been dealing with my spending in excess, He’s now reminding me that sometimes spending can be grace too. I think if you look at the heart of what you’re doing you’ll see the difference. Are you spending to make yourself look better? Feel better? Because you’re bored? Out of control? Or. Are you spending for someone else to feel more welcomed, more loved, or perhaps more appreciated?
Many times we are right in our saving and reigning in our spending but let’s not forget there is grace to be lavished in many ways and I think God’s in the spending sometimes too.
Do you agree? What are some ways you spend with grace in mind?
Amy Bennett is a recovering perfectionist and lover of God. She is wife to her police officer husband, Scott and mommy to two beautiful girls, Emma and Lexi and hopefully one handsome boy soon. They reside in South Carolina, in a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina with their two dogs Mattie and Tucker and a picket fence to hold them all in. Amy spends her day writing code for a bank and her evenings writing blog posts at Permission to Peruse.
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Great reminder, Amy! For the last 19 months we’ve been so focused on Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover and getting out of debt. Now that we’ve completed that step, it’s still difficult to spend money. Thank you for the gentle reminder that it is ok to spend – as long as our heart is right.
Richelle, EXACTLY! I think we get in these modes of saving that when it comes to finally spending on other people it’s like WHAT that’s too extravagant! Sprinkled waffle cones?! Do you know how much they are?? But really, that’s what we’re saving for right? Helping others feel loved and special. I don’t think that gives us a license to be unwise but I do think those of us that are natural savers have to be careful not to miss an opportunity to do what we set out to do in the first place! Thanks for the comment, friend!
Oh and CONGRATS on getting out of debt. WOW!
You know, I love guest posts. They either introduce me to new people or remind me of people I already like!
7 was a great book…glad to see it’s impact is still ringing.
This is beautiful!! Love thinking of “spending as grace.” Oh how sometimes it is exactly that! You bless me both of you! 7 is definitely still messin’ with me.