He said He would...and He did

Most (well, all) of the posts on the blog are about the kids and what's going on. I feel like I need to take a step away, though, and reflect on a family saga. God told the Israelites not to forget from where they came, and the directive is also true for us. So in an effort to remember, here is our most recent story of God's provision.
Last October Buck's company foreclosed. Of course the economy is, or at least was then, in the worst downswing since the great depression. The company had been suffering for quite some time, and it wasn't a surprise, still it was a little scary. We learned that since the company was closed, there was no remaining insurance agaist which we could pay cobra, so he'd have to quickly get another job and jump to another group plan, or we'd have to get a private individual plan. Unfortunately, pregnancy is considered a preexisting condition...for both the expecting mother AND father. We ended up having to get 4 separate insurance policies, 2 being very pricey insurance through the state for essentially non-insurable people. We were very very blessed to start our marriage in a great financial position due to diligence and sacrifice of our parents. When I looked at our financial outlook in October, I saw a pinch coming. Through the downfall of the company and realization of our insurance issue, we kept reminding ourselves that God promises to provide, and has never failed. Buck was offered and negotiated a contract with the investors from his former company to help close out the business. Through the month of February he received regular pay checks. God provided. Buck made a number of contacts while selling off equpment and was able to drum up a lot of business on the side. He started his own consulting business and has kept busy and continued to draw regular income. Again, God provided. We didn't have to move. We were able to stay near Mom, who helped us immensely while I was pregnant with Ellie and after she was born (and all the time, actually). Since Buck was working from home and on his own schedule, he was able to help a lot more around the house during my pregnancy and after Ellie was born. Again, God provided. During the month when medical bills from the birth were coming in, families from church were providing dinners to us. It's typical for our church and group of friends and neighbors to do that when a baby is born, and I've always recognized it as a wonderful convenience...not having to think about what we'll eat, grocery shopping, preparing food, or cleaning. This time, it was all of that plus a much lower grocery budget for the tightest month. We've been able to pay all the bills, make a trip out to Oregon to visit family and attend Christopher and Kendra's wedding, and even eat out every now and then (OK, a good bit). Again, God provided. Through this we have learned a lot about ourselves as individuals, a couple, and a family. We have learned about faith, God's provision, His sovreignty, His love for us, and the way he honors leadership and submission. As of today, we have paid all but one (I think) of the medical bills and managed to get all of us back onto one medical insurance plan with a cost reduction of about 40%. I have been very blessed to never have been pinched financially. I quickly learned that it's easy to trust God when we aren't pinched, but we see our true heart when we are. When it all began, it was very much a financial situation. Now that we're officially over this hump, I feel like in retrospect it was much more of a situation of the heart, preaching God's faithfulness and provision to ourselves, letting go of control (not that we mastered this by any stretch of the imagination), and watching God do His thing. Not to diminish all of the hard work Buck has put forth to lead our family through this time, but I think he'd agree that a lot of people work hard. It is God that has brought us to where we are.
All of this being said, although finances and insurance have been a stressor for me over the past months, it has also been made clear to me that these are such minor things. In the scheme of life, they are pale in comparisson to the blessings God has given us in our family and friends. In the scheme of God's eternal story, our redemption and the saving Grace of God through his only son, Jesus, they are negligible.