One Stressor Done by Susan L.

  I didn't expect to be able to walk in to my tax man's office yesterday and be seen right away. Income tax deadline is today. I thought the office would be busy, but it wasn't. Good thing. Seeing my accountant, a very nice man, is about as much fun as going to the dentist. It had been a job I'd been putting off for as along as possible. Saturday, I took the time to organise all the paperwork.
  The end result was painful. I ended up owing a good chunk to the government so I've made some changes at work to get them to take more income tax off my paycheck. I'd sooner have the government owe me than the other way around.
  Canada is a great country although we pay some of the highest taxes in the world. It's a big country with a small population for its size. High taxes are the cost of "free" health care, a social safety net, of adequate police and EMS workers, snow plows, public transportation, good roads that span the country, schools...another of my Lists. I need to remind myself of these things to help take the sting out of parting with hard earned money.
  Income tax was started to fund the war effort. I'm not sure if it was World War One or Two. Like sales tax, once it was started, despite promises by electoral candidates to stop these charges, there was no looking back. Oh, they may have reduced them in the beginning or offered tax credits to low income families or removed tax charges from books and children's apparel, nevertheless, taxes are here to stay.
  I can offer paying income, provincial and federal sales taxes, gas, car license or property tax as an expression of gratitude. First and foremost: thank You, Lord for your provision! If I had no job or home or car, if I wasn't truly wealthy in the world view scheme of things, I would not be paying any of these taxes. So, thank You, Lord, for your provision. Thank You for Your many, many gifts. Thank You, Lord, I live in this great country where a woman is allowed to have these things.
  ""Show Me the tax money." So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them. "Whose image and inscription is this?" They said to Him, "Caesar's." And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."" Mat 22:19-21