Math is not my best subject.  If you have read my blog for long you might say, “funny I thought grammar and spelling were not his best subjects.”  Now you know why I am a public speaker first, a business person second, and a writer third.

Many times in my educational career, I complained about my inability to do Math.  I would blame my “not getting it” to “that darn new Math.”  To this day I tend to estimate low and running numbers in my head is just not safe.  It leaves me 2 boards short of finishing the project or two feet short of where it needs to go. Those who traveled to West Virginia with me two years ago can attest to that fact. (click photo to see the “whole story”)

I believe that once again I am being hung up by new Math.  Dealing with depression on a good day can at times become a challenge.  When the new Math of the family finances does not seem to be working out, however, I now know it is an old Math problem.  Old Math is what the disciples suffered from.  They did the Math, 5 + 2 = 7.  That is what they came up with in the feeding of the 5000. They knew that 7 did not equal enough to feed all the hungry mouths on that hillside.  The good news is, they knew who to tell about the problem, Jesus.

These last few weeks, I have wondered if the Lord was really talking to ME when he led us to launch GodPonders.  The old Math was just not adding up. The phone was not ringing off the hook and the money we had was running out the door.  I began to think how I could fix this situation.  I started to make plans; perhaps a call back into the parish would be the best way. Maybe selling the house and buying something smaller would be the best. Getting a better job would be the solution or maybe Amway. (Actually Amway has never come to mind)

I realized, just today, that I was not embracing new Math, Divine Math.  It doesn’t have to add up when God is in the mix.  He created Math after all. He certainly knows a few formulas that we haven’t come up with yet.  Just ask Moses how he was going to provide meat for them to eat for a month.  The numbers simply did not add up.  Ask Noah how this boat in the desert was going to save his family.  Ask him how much food he would need to feed everyone for… (pause) yeah ask him how long the trip was going to be. There are a lot of things that do not add up.

I am working hard at embracing the new Divine Math.  I am learning to rejoice in what He has promised to do, even if at the moment I do not see it. You would think by now I would have figured this new Math thing out. God has demonstrated it in my life so very many times.  When I first stepped out of ministry just months after having purchased our first home, God was faithful to provide more than we needed.  When I left the new jobs God had provided for Shirley and me to return to the parish for a very substantial pay cut, God provided more than we needed.  When we packed up our young family and moved from Minnesota to Texas into a home someone else picked out for us, God provided more than we needed.  When we chose to adopt a son with special needs that would challenge him and us for many years, God provided more than we needed. and the list goes on…

So, I am giving you permission to remind me about how this new Math works.  I am reminding myself of the calling we received and to the faithfulness of God to provide.  Sometimes I forget to notice we are still in our home.  We still both have jobs outside of GodPonders that are helping with the expenses.  We do have speaking dates on our calendar.  We do have a multitude of amazing friends who have continued to encourage and support us.  And we have a God who sees where we are going, as well as where we are at.  Not only does God see our future story, He has written the script.

Praise be to our faithful God!

<>< Craig

p.s. as you read this learn to embrace new Grammar and understand that there is more than one way to spell most words.