Earlier in the week, I started pondering a business trip I had been planning on attending.
I had a few large unexpected expenses come up, and as a financial advisor, I started prioritizing what was truly important.
As I’ve attended this particular conference a few times in the past, both in person and online, I started weighing my options. I had purchased my in person ticket to the conference last year. It was in a State that I’d never been and would like to visit.
As I reviewed all my upcoming expenses and planned for them, I know going on this trip would add another large expense between hotel and flights. I started contemplating that I really didn’t need to attend in person and would just downgrade my in person ticket to an online ticket – and would lose $100, but that was an easier sell than the other amounts I would need to come up with.
I went to chatGPT and shared my thoughts and it gave me its feedback. I didn’t need to go.
I spoke with a couple other industry friends who understood money, and they too concluded this wasn’t a high priority.
While I’d already made the hotel reservation, I still had a lot of time before I needed to cancel. And while I was confident in my decision to not go, something said to hold off just a bit longer. Including attempting to make any changes on my in person ticket.
In a rare ask, my mom asked for my help to prepare the message she needed to share for church. She wasn’t feeling great, and she already had her framework, but just needed some help to flesh out her thoughts. The topic was ‘Making the Right Choice’ and her framework was on Biblical decision making.
We went through it together and I didn’t think about it too much. I’d already been walking this path for many years.
The next morning, as I did devotion, there was a story of Nehemiah asking the King for what he needed, and as a result, the King gave him not just letters for safe passage, but also letters to get the supplies He needed to rebuild the wall to protect the people.
As I thought of my decision to not attend the conference, I got a nudge from the Holy Spirit.. ‘you didn’t ask Me’..
I sat there a little stunned, and realized I had done all the plans of what the cost would be and consulted ChatGPT and shared my decision with friends, but never actually asked God.
I then remembered a conference I wanted to attend in 2017 and the way that came together, along with the finances, was an absolute God movement, so I decided to ask.
‘Father, if I’m to go to this conference, would you open the door and make the provision?’
It’s almost as if He instantly said ‘Go look again’.
When I did, I thought to adjust my flying days, and that flight was 25% less than the original one I’d looked at – and would be paid 100% by points. I would even still have points left over. This also meant I’d stay one night less in the hotel, saving yet quite a few more hundreds of dollars – and in the process solving for another personal concern I had with this trip.
Overall, the initial savings would be about 50%, and as my financial planner friend reminded me, plus some tax benefits. Lol..
Friends, what are some things that you’re asking everyone around you, but not asking God?
I hope I never forget these lessons. In my attempt to be financially wise, I forgot to ask my Heavenly Father, who desires to give good gifts, and I think He might chuckle a bit at the things we think aren’t important, but He says ‘nothing is too hard for me’. I even imagine Him giving a little wink as He chuckles.
Will you join me in asking Him? Even for the things that you don’t think makes sense to ask.
Dear Heavenly Father, I’m so grateful that you gently correct and you don’t get upset when we don’t come to you first. Thanks for reminding me that no matter how smart AI is, that it’s no match for the things you see and how you can work it out for our good.