Looking at my first pay direct deposited paycheck of the new year brought a little surprise for my bank account. Instead of a Christmas bonus, my stipend was cut 15 dollars. Not much to many people, but it adds up by the time my service ends. And this means that I now only have 35% of my paycheck left after all my bills. It stinks, and it stinks that it happened without any warning. But if I’ve learned anything so far in my 23 years of life, I’ve learned that bitterness imprisons life; love releases it. Perhaps Mr. Harry Emerson Fosdick said that last poetic bit before I did, but I concur.
My life is not about making money. My life isn’t even about living for myself. It’s about serving a God with a plan bigger than I can fathom and accepting the blessings I’ve been given, since I can fully acknowledge I’ve been given way more than I could do anything to deserve.
So what do I have?
An AmeriCorps placement at a supportive and groundbreaking organization
A compassionate supervisor who I know always has my back and has been a great joy to work with
A car
A warm apartment and a trustworthy roomie friend
A past that has offered me lots of birthday and Christmas presents that included fleece blankets
Hot chocolate
A daily hot shower. Two, if I want.
(can you tell it’s cold outside?)
An immediate and extended family that has proven time and again that we are in it together for the long haul, and shown amazing feats of forgiveness and love towards each other.
A boyfriend who has loved and supported me for over 6 years, from hours away
Oreos. 6 of which are in my stomach.
Perhaps I shouldn’t be watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition whilst I write my blog. I may make Mom cry twice in one night after all this sappiness.
Gratitude is the only proven way I’ve found to surmount those unexpected setbacks in life. Things that, if you chose, could make you bitter and angry. I implore you to turn to your gratitude list in a time of doubt, and I implore you also to start it now.
Update: After numerous emails this pay adjustment was clarified as a tax issue, specifically dealing with the Making Work Pay credit. Essentially this credit was applied throughout the year, allowing more money to come in my paycheck and less "estimated tax" withheld through the year to the federal gov't. With the change I can no longer keep that money and it has to be taken out of my paycheck throughout the year, as normal wages typically work. Perhaps I will be poor again next year, not owe tax, and get it back anyways!
Update: After numerous emails this pay adjustment was clarified as a tax issue, specifically dealing with the Making Work Pay credit. Essentially this credit was applied throughout the year, allowing more money to come in my paycheck and less "estimated tax" withheld through the year to the federal gov't. With the change I can no longer keep that money and it has to be taken out of my paycheck throughout the year, as normal wages typically work. Perhaps I will be poor again next year, not owe tax, and get it back anyways!
i love the attitude. miss you and hope you're doing well.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this blog post. I found it through the VISTA network and as I am going to start training in the next couple of weeks I have been looking through the forums on the Vista campus website. I have found a lot of discouragement and this blogpost helped me remember why I applied and accepted this position and how much I have when most of the world is living in severe poverty. Again, thank you for the encouragement.
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