Provision

I made a deal with Bill. I had come up with a dollar amount at our mediation. I had to act on faith that 1) Bill would accept my offer and 2) it would materialize. When I sat down afterward to do my calculations, after transferring my tax-sheltered annuity to Bill and giving him my other savings, I was going to have to find $28,000. Credit cards had stopped being an option a long time ago. I didn't know where I was going to get the money. I was preparing myself to ask friends for loans. The thought was unpleasant and humiliating. Mary retired from teaching at my school last year. She was very concerned that I retire with full knowledge of the retirement system, my accounts, and my options. One day at lunch (she also does some subbing), she asked me what I was going to do with the money from the 'extra' account. What 'extra' account? The supplemental account that was established for everyone who taught between 2001 and 2010. Hmmmmm...I'd forgotten about that account. I wondered how much was available. I went home and looked it up. Then I called the retirement office. I had $35,513. They would take out 20% for federal taxes. That would leave me with $28,000. My attorney had had to do more work for me after our last court date. I thought maybe he had bills for close to $1000. I still had a credit from the last sum of money I had given him. I thought maybe I was $1000 over that. He told me he was going to be sending me a bill. I cringed. The next week the bill came. It was $2835. I was shocked. That was a sum of money for which I was not prepared. It was enough to throw my finances into a tailspin. I had no idea where I was going to get $2835. I logged onto my retirement account again. I was supposed to get my first retirement check on August 1 for the month of July. In the retirement world, you get paid AFTER the month. They want to make sure you lived through it, I guess. Social Security does the same. The account said I was getting a check for $2905 on July 1. My contract with my district didn't end until June 30 and I had got a call from Human Resources telling me that I couldn't collect retirement until July 1. I called the retirement office. I asked the agent what the $2905 was for. She said it was for June 19 - 30. I said I was sorry but they'd have to keep it because my contract with my district went through June 30. The agent said, no, my contract with my district might go through June 30 but I stopped teaching on June 18 and, as far as the retirement system was concerned, I was retired the day after school got out. The Christians say there are no coincidences. They say God provides. Have faith. God provides. He gives you just what you need. Anyone who knows this journey I've been on for the past two years, knows about the provision I've received. To me it is undeniable.