Things We Learned When Times Were Tight – MBFLP 283 (replay)

Making Biblical Family Life Practical

A lot of families are struggling during this economic downturn. It’s not the first time we’ve been through it, either. How do we respond in a positive, faith-directed manner to the undeniable challenges of the day? What can we learn and what can we teach our kids as we make our way through?

Podcast Episode: MBFLP 283 – What We Learned When Times Were Hard
Hosts: Hal & Melanie Young
Brought to you by: CTCMath.com

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Hal:
Well, hello everybody. This is Hal.

Melanie:
And I’m Melanie.

Hal:
Welcome to another episode of Making Biblical Family Life Practical. We are living in “interesting times,” as the old Chinese curse says. Gas prices have doubled, groceries are more expensive, energy costs are through the roof—and it looks like this may last a while.

Melanie:
We’ve been through hard financial seasons before—starting businesses, job changes, high medical expenses. Maybe everyone’s struggling now, or maybe it’s just your family. But either way, we’ve been there.

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Looking Back on Financial Struggles

Melanie:
As we look back, we can see benefits in those hard times. I remember a book my mom loved, The Tenth Good Thing About Barney. The story encourages finding good things in hard situations—and we’ve tried to do that too.

Hal:
Exactly. When something bad happens, like a car breaking down, we try to list the “good things.” For example, at least you were close to town, not stranded.

Melanie:
Nobody chooses trials, but God allows them for a purpose. He’s not whimsical or cruel. He loves us.

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The Skills We Gained

Hal:
One huge benefit of hard times is learning practical skills. We couldn’t afford to hire out car repairs or home maintenance, so we figured it out. I remember replacing an alternator with a Chilton manual!

Melanie:
Now there’s YouTube, which makes it easier, but still—you do it because you have to. Like building our own canoe when we couldn’t afford one.

Hal:
And now our kids believe they can figure out anything. One of our sons had a car issue, hiked to Tractor Supply, got a new jack, and fixed it before we got there!

Melanie:
Exactly. Struggles breed resourcefulness and confidence.

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Making Our Own Fun

Hal:
Hard times teach us to make our own fun, too. We couldn’t afford a boat, so we used kayaks, swam, fished, and played games at night.

Melanie:
That actually built stronger family relationships. If we’d had more money, we might have all just watched movies on our phones.

Hal:
Kids don’t always feel the weight of financial struggles like adults do. They want to feel safe and loved—and they remember the time together, not the money spent.

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The Blessing of Contentment

Melanie:
Beans and rice became comfort food for our kids! It reminded me that what we ate in hard times can become part of family identity and comfort.

Hal:
Fajitas, pizza, even shrimp and grits started out as “poverty food”—now they’re gourmet! God provides, and those memories become sweet over time.

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The Best Part of Being Poor

Melanie:
All these things are good, but the best thing we’ve gained from hard times is learning to trust God.

Hal:
When money isn’t coming in, and the Lord provides in unexpected ways—loss leaders at the store, unexpected gifts—you see God working.

Melanie:
God warned the Israelites in Deuteronomy not to forget Him in abundance. It’s often in lack that we see Him most clearly.

Hal:
Our children have seen that too. One of our sons said, “I need to marry someone full of faith. I’ve seen you trust God when it made no sense. That’s what I want for my life too.”

Melanie:
That’s not something you can teach from a book. It has to be lived. And seeing that shaped our kids’ faith in powerful ways.

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Final Thoughts

Hal:
You don’t need a six-figure income to be joyful. Trust God through the hard times, and your kids will learn to do the same.

Melanie:
That’s been the greatest gift of all.

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Connect with Hal & Melanie Young:
Leave a message: 919-295-0321
Websites: RaisingRealMen.com | CTCMath.com
Social: Facebook.com/halandmelanie | Facebook.com/raisingrealmen
Listen & Subscribe: Making Biblical Family Life Practical
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