My point is, though, that I distinctly remember clogging lessons being $5/month and piano lessons being $24/month. I think ballet and tap were another $25/month or so. Most of the other stuff was nearly free. So while I may have driven my parents crazy with the schedule that year, it was only costing them $54/month.....a small price for keeping a busy bee occupied.
Fast forward 20+ years, and go from a town of 5,000 to a city of five million. Wow. The price of piano lessons ain't what it used to be. For one of our children to take only piano now would be $140 - $175/month!
Needless to say, we nearly approach choosing extra-curricular activities with prayer and fasting. (We DO pray.....we haven't fasted about lessons yet, but I wouldn't be surprised to see that come down the pipe.)
Our oldest daughter is the same little busy bee that I was (probably more so) and has narrowed down her desired list of activities to: soccer, girl scouts, piano, violin, ballet, art, gymnastics and sign language. And I feel sure I'm forgetting something. So we are constantly putting her off or flat-out saying no to her because of both the cost and the time involved with all of these activities.
However, at the beginning of the summer we decided to try ballet for this school year. There is a lovely Christian ballet program not too far from our house which is relatively affordable. Both girls would have been in the same class, and S. would have had the chance to meet some more girls (she's one of only two in her grade at school).
I excitedly emailed the teacher, asking about the details. I was going to put them in the week-long summer ballet camp in order to catch them up a little, and it was going to work out great with our schedule. It was all a 'go.'
As the sign-up deadline approached, though, I felt a hesitancy. It was unexplainable. It was all working out on paper, but for some reason I couldn't shake the feeling that I was rushing ahead of the Lord in this matter. I felt like I was taking matters into my own hands instead of waiting for His provision. Of course, this was the provision as far as I knew, but inside I kept hearing 'wait.'
Well, we were coming down to the wire -- one day before the ballet camp deadline, and I was thinking, "I just need to sign them up. What's the big deal?" Was I just procrastinating?
Then I got the call. This sweet lady in our church called to tell me our church was starting a ballet program. Would I help? The cost would be $80 for the entire year -- for both girls. "Hmmm......," I thought. "Yes. Yes, I think I can swing $80/year for ballet lessons five minutes from our house." (And the short commute is a big deal in this neck of the woods.)
As it turns out, we had a pretty big response to this new ballet program, so instead of just helping with a class, I am 'teaching' my own 4-6 year old ballet class. And I'm actually getting paid a little for it! But the rewards of teaching these precious girls is payment enough.......look at these faces!
I am so thankful that the Lord said, "wait," even when I didn't understand why or what. And it is only by his grace that I listened and obeyed (I am usually all too eager to rush ahead with my own plans). If I had just followed my own plans and ignored that still, small voice, I would have not only ended up spending money I don' have (due to an unexpected appendectomy in the family), but I would have missed out on all these little toes. And what cute toes they are!
PS -- My husband just read this post and said, "Yes, you forgot that S. also wants to do tennis and cross country." Guess he'll have to coach one of those next year :-).
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