More Than Just Making It by Erin Odom (book review)

We have never been a wealthy family. We have had years of struggles and wondering how to make ends meet. There's never been a spending problem, as my husband is thrifty and I don't spend out of respect. Our problem, has always been an income problem. I had never put those terms to it until I read "More Than Just Making It" by Erin Odom.

In this book, the author walks you through her story of going through the economic depression, foreclosure, and bankruptcy. Her family also experienced income problem, especially when her husband was a teacher in a very low paying state.

image via Amazon

While I appreciate her tips on bringing in more income and thrifty shopping, the thing I love most about this book was her perspective on government aid and getting help. At our lowest financial point, we used Medicaid for two pregnancies and births, WIC, and food stamps to help us feed our family. This was something we talked about long before we had children and we did not see eye to eye. My own family used government aid when it was needed when we were very poor and my parents were very young. My husband was very against the idea of aid, but I told him about my past experiences with it and helped him to realize that aid is really for people who need it. I'm so thankful that he changed his views on it, or else we would be in amount of debt. 

I really love how the author put this hard subject into a Christian perspective. She said that we give to Caesar what is Caesar's, which is a quote from Jesus talking about paying our taxes. How God provides and sometimes this is His way of providing. How, when we go to college, we don't blink at putting in applications for aid and grants, but we do when it comes to later times in our lives....why? How we are supposed to take care of one another and paying our taxes without judging those who take aid may be just that way. 

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in thay person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." (1 John 3:16-18)

What a beautiful picture of sacrificing for one another. Odom talks about how in "Scripture, it doesn't take long to discover that God's Word is brimming with admonitions to care for the poor..." how we should oppress the poor. "You might be thinking, 'I don't oppress the poor!' I didn't think I did either. But what is the definition of "oppress"? Learning Dictionary defines it in two ways: 'to treat a person or group of people in a cruel or unfair way' and 'to make someone feel sad or worried for a long period of time.' While none of us may be actively 'oppressing' those living on a lower income than we are, doesn't our lack of compassion adn support count as a sort of 'oppression'? I think it might." 

I just love this perspective, so different than what you typically see in mainstream media. I feel like our culture very much looks down on those who have drawn from aid and that's horrible. We don't know one another's circumstances that lead to aid but that shouldn't matter; we should give gladly and love our neighbors as ourselves.

Disclaimer: I received this book in order to write an honest review. All opinions are my own and others' opinions may differ from my own.