Learning about Honor. . .

I posted a picture earlier of the new Mastiff male I was planning to get. . . well, thanks to the economy, we haven't had any insulation work, and thanks to the drought, the farm is still in the hole. My dear husband was still allowing me to go get Chance despite our financial situation, but I knew that it wasn't sitting well with him. I had recently made a committment to the Lord to honor my husband, no matter what. This is revolutionary for me. I have always been obedient, I am that by nature. However, my spirit so often did not match my actions! Obedience with a bad attitude is NOT honor. Needless to say, the minute I made the committment, the Lord allowed me to be tested. I know we are in a financial crunch right now, so I decided (with the right attitude for once) to give up the opportunity to get Chance. This has been extremely difficult for me, but it has given me great opportunities to share with my girls and teach them about honoring their daddy and eventually their husbands.
I had been struggling with the sacrifice I had made, and my only consolation was the Purity conference my two girls and I had planned to attend this past weekend. At least we could still do that. Well. . . guess what? When it came down to the wire, I ended up sacrificing the conference as well. That one was tougher, as it greatly disappointed not only me, but also my girls. Though I struggled with my attitude, through the Grace of God I was able to maintain a positive face to the girls, and had yet another opportunity to show them what it looks like to honor Daddy. The Lord showed me that they were learning more at home about honor than they would have been learning about anything else at the conference. As a consolation, the girls and I met my mom for lunch and had a fun little outing with Grandma. Later that day, a different person called me and, knowing that we are struggling financially, offered to loan me enough money to get my dog!!! This call was out of the blue, and so clearly God's leading. I called the lady that has Chance, and though she had 2 other opportunities to sell him for more money, she really wanted me to have him.
It is so amazing to me that whenever God calls us to stretch and grow, the rewards so far outweigh any sacrifice we may make. If I had gone to the conference (Larry left the decision to me) I would have missed out on my dog, as he would have been sold that very day to someone else. I am so blessed to have a God that cares about me and wants to make me a better person, and that what is important to me is important to Him, even if it's just a dog.
The very best part of all is that my 11 yo daughter heard that I was getting Chance after all, and the first thing out of her mouth (after she quit screaming and jumping up and down) was "It works! It really paid to obey God and honor Daddy!" I couldnt' ask for anything better. All glory and honor to my God and Father, Jesus Christ.