Business
Critical Moments “The best way out is always through.” - Robert Frost Earlier, we identified four types of people and how they manage money. People in each category come to a moment of choice when they either move forward or stay stuck in a rut. Many people who are buried in debt have continued to make poor decisions because they don’t want to face painful realities. Robert and Joyce had made countless bad decisions over the years, and now in their 50s, they found themselves with a mountain of debt and virtually no assets. They owned their home, but they had borrowed on the equity every time the market went up a few thousand dollars. Four credit cards were maxed out, and they owed more on their cars than they were worth. By the time they came to see me, creditors had been calling for six months, and they faced a torrent of demand letters. Joyce had seen it coming for years, but Robert always made excuses and laughed off any problems. Now, though, Joyce wasn’t willing to listen to Robert’s lies any longer. She insisted that they get help. “If you won’t face the facts,” she growled at him in anger, “I’m going to leave you. You can count on it!” That did it. Robert never imagined that their financial problems would come to that, but Joyce simply couldn’t handle the multiple strains of financial stress and relational discord. Something had to give. (She thought about murder, but she ruled it out.) Leaving him would at least give her some distance so she could reclaim her life. The look in Joyce’s eyes told Robert that this time, her threat was real. He told her, “I don’t know what to do, but I’ll call Jim. Maybe he can help us.” Immediately, Robert called me, and in an hour, he and Joyce sat in my office pouring out their hearts. Robert obviously felt very uncomfortable, especially when Joyce’s anger flared several times. But he took it like a man. After we talked for a while, I outlined a simple plan to move them toward the black. Robert listened carefully. At the end, I asked, “Robert, are you willing to commit yourself to this plan?” He looked me in the eyes and said simply, “Whatever it takes.” And he meant it. The road for them has been difficult, but they’re making really good progress. Tune in a few months from now, and I think you’ll see that they’re completely out of debt. But that’s only part of the story. Robert’s new honesty has opened the doors that his denial had closed in his relationship with Joyce. They aren’t out of debt yet, but they’re happier than they’ve been in years. Joyce told me recently, “I feel like we’ve gotten our lives back.” Effective Prayer "Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks. You parents--if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. Up Next... Day 18 of 40 Days to Make Your Money Count Why No Change? “A prudent question is one half of wisdom.” - Francis Bacon