Week 37: No Money, No Problem
We had to make the meal on a tight budget. But we did it together…
Each Sunday, my wife and I prepare, cook and eat a meal together — intentionally. Every Friday, I’ll be sharing our experience here in this space. I want to see the growth that will come in our marriage because of this. I hope you enjoy our story. You can find last week’s post here.
First of all, Happy Thanksgiving! No matter where you are and who you’re with, Sarah and I wish you joy and the happiest of days. Holidays provide so many opportunities to enjoy simple moments with friends and family. We pray this holiday has been a special one for you. And if you still have some travel ahead of you, we pray for safety. Now, hopefully you’re not too stuffed full of turkey to read about more food. :)
Sarah and I have been married a little over a year now. I never remember what the specific designation for newlyweds is, but I feel like we’re still there. In any case, we are young and still in the early stages of our marriage. It’s such an exciting time! Thinking about all the years and adventures ahead of us gives me goosebumps. I’m sure we’re in for a special ride. But, being a young married couple also has other distinctions associated with it.
Like having no money.
Before I go any further, let me say that God has blessed us greatly. As I sit here during the Thanksgiving holiday, God’s financial provision is certainly on the list of reasons to give thanks. We are by no means rich, but we have what we need. Whenever we’re tempted to worry about our bank accounts, God always provides. We could tell story after story of how He’s come through for us.
But sometimes the budget is tight. That’s part of being in your twenties. Actually, no, that’s just part of life. You go through seasons. Ups and downs. A couple weeks ago, we were stretched pretty thin. It was a few days before either one of us would get paid, and we needed to find a recipe for Sunday. We started looking through the cupboards to see what we already had.
Amid some granola, stale crackers and lonely packets of ramen noodles sat cans of tuna. I had almost forgotten they were there. They had been waiting for their time to shine. With our bank accounts as bare as the cupboards, that time was now.
Sarah started researching tuna recipes. She found one that sounded fun. Most of all, there weren’t many ingredients we needed to buy. We decided to make tuna cucumber sandwiches.
Money can be hard. It’s one of those facts of life. You need money. The bills don’t stop when the budget gets tight. And it can be a hard aspect of marriage. Sarah and I don’t always see eye to eye on the budget or how we should spend and save. But there’s a few constants to remember.
We’re in this together.
Money doesn’t define our happiness.
God is always in control.
This week was another great reminder of those. Was it hard? Yes, but we come together as husband and wife and figured out how we would handle it. Even though our bank accounts were slim, we had such an enjoyable weekend. And God truly carried us through. I’ve found that, most of the time, the best lessons come during hard times.
I mixed together the tuna and the mayonnaise and Sarah started slicing up cucumbers. She had this great idea to make little cucumber cups for a few of the “sandwiches.” Then for the rest, we just used regular cucumber slices. Like last week’s post, I’m always struck by the creativity our weekly cooking adventures bring out. This week was no different. In fact, our financial situation called for even more creativity. It was fun!
We set the tuna in the fridge to cool down for a while. As we sat together on our couch, I was overcome with thankfulness. I don’t need money or things to be happy. It may sound corny but, in that moment, I was overcome with a feeling I’ve had many times over the last year. As long as Sarah’s next to me, I’ll be just fine.
When the tuna was ready, we got the cucumber slices and sat down to eat. As I crunched into a tuna finger sandwich, I just felt good. We had come up with the idea. It didn’t cost much money. It wasn’t all that fancy. But we did it together.
This Thanksgiving, I hope you have an opportunity to reflect on the blessings in your life and the people you love. As you spend time with friends and family this weekend, Sarah and I are wishing you joy and happiness as you share simple moments with those you hold dear. We are so thankful for all of you. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
