Walking Through the Valley of the Arrears Letter

It usually arrives in a white envelope with a window, and you know before you open it. “We note that your account is in arrears.” There is a figure in bold. There is a date. There is a sentence, carefully worded, about “further action” if the situation is not resolved.

For many households, that letter is the valley. Perhaps a job ended, or the hours were cut. Perhaps illness kept someone from work, or a relative abroad stopped being able to send money. Perhaps the rate on the mortgage went up and the budget, already tight, simply broke. However it happened, the result is the same: a knot in the stomach, sleepless nights, and a secret you are trying to keep from the children, from the church, sometimes even from your spouse.

Through, not into

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

Much has been said about this verse, and one word in it bears repeating. Through. The psalmist does not say he lives in the valley, or that he has been abandoned there. He walks through it. The valley is a place on the road, not the end of the road.

That does not make the valley less real. Financial trouble around your home touches something very deep: safety, dignity, the sense of being able to provide. It is right to name it as hard. But it is also right to remember that the valley has another side, and that you are not walking it alone.

Fear makes us freeze

One of the most common reactions to an arrears letter is to do nothing. The letter goes in a drawer. The phone calls from the bank or the landlord go unanswered. It is not laziness. It is fear, and shame, and the hope that if we do not look at it, it might somehow shrink.

But in most cases, fear freezing us in the middle of the valley makes things worse. Missed payments accumulate. Options that were available early close off. The lender or landlord, hearing nothing, assumes the worst.

“I will fear no evil” is not a claim that the psalmist felt no fear. It is a decision not to be ruled by it, made on the basis of Someone else’s presence. “For You are with me.” The courage is borrowed, and it is enough to take the next step.

The next step in the valley

Walking through usually means doing a few hard, ordinary things:

• Open the letters. All of them. Put them in date order and write down exactly what is owed and to whom.
• Tell the people who share the roof. A spouse who finds out late often feels more betrayed by the secret than by the debt.
• Contact the lender or landlord early. Many lenders have processes for customers in difficulty, and a landlord who hears from you is often more willing to talk. Ask what options exist rather than assuming there are none.
• Get trustworthy advice. A reputable debt or housing advice service, an attorney-at-law or a qualified financial counsellor can explain your rights and options where you live. Be wary of anyone who asks for fees upfront to “save” your home.
• Let someone help. A pastor, a trusted friend, a small group. Not necessarily for money, though sometimes the church can help with that too, but so you are not carrying this in silence.

The rod, the staff and the table

The shepherd’s rod and staff were tools for protection and guidance, used to fend off danger and draw a wandering sheep back to the path. In a financial crisis, God’s guidance often comes through very practical means: a clear-headed friend who helps with the budget, a bank officer who turns out to be kind, a counsellor who knows a way through that you did not.

And the psalm does not end in the valley. The next verse speaks of a table prepared, a cup running over, goodness and mercy following all the days of my life. That may not mean the house is saved in every case. Sometimes walking through the valley means selling, downsizing or moving to rent. But it does mean that God’s goodness does not depend on a particular address, and that there is a table on the other side.

For reflection

• Is there an envelope, a call or a conversation I have been avoiding because I am afraid?
• Who could I ask to walk with me through this, practically and in prayer?

Shepherd of my life, I am in the valley, and I am afraid. Walk with me. Give me courage to open what I have been hiding, honesty with those who share my home, and wisdom to take the next right step. Guide me with Your rod and staff, and bring us through to the table You have prepared. Amen.

This article is general information only and is not financial, legal, tax or other professional advice. Please speak to a qualified professional about your own circumstances.

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