It's all good
I find it interesting that over the years the price of food goes up, gas goes up and even dues and memberships to organizations go up. We go to restaurants and tip our servers 15%, 20 or even more, depending on what? The conditions we set in our minds. Did they take care of our every need? Will we walk away satisfied?
It really is amazing that we only tithe 10%, and we are the heirs to a heavenly kingdom! God loves us unconditionally. He takes care of all our needs, and we don’t have to walk away just satisfied, he is there continually. With that being said we should not make our lives so busy that we have no room for church.
I grew up watching my mom every week put her envelope in the offering basket thinking, “When I grow up I’m going to put in a lot more than that.” Years passed and that did happen. Until over night I lost my job and my tithe went from $100 a week, to just $2. It is painful. I can only wait for this cross to pass patiently, but in the mean time I must focus cheerfully on my time and talents. So my journey begins to find those.
In the past year I have seen my ever so small amount of money stretch in amazing ways at this church. One weekend it was my turn to cook for helping hands and with just $14 to spend I made enough egg salad sandwiches to feed 120 people. I saw before my eyes the 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish story unfold. There was enough to feed all and even leftovers for them to take home. It was incredible.
How many have said that if I win the lottery I am going to give a big chunk of it to church? I did and won. It was the most I had ever won. A whole $16! That’s a lot of money when you only make a few dollars a week. I could have put gas in my truck. I could have gone out to eat at McDonalds. I put it all in the basket and told God to do amazing things with it.
I find that using my time or talent in church changes your life. You not only are blessed but you become a blessing to others. You feel not just satisfied, like when you leave a restaurant, but gain an inner peace when you’re done.
Example? Nancy is blessed with a talent to play the organ. She in turn is a blessing to us as we enjoy the sounds every Sunday. But oh, there are so many small things. I once cleaned a refrigerator in the parish kitchen and you’d think I was the best thing since sliced bread. I don’t think I have ever felt so appreciated. Even John Moore gave me praise! All that was not necessary, of course, just like picking up a piece of trash in the parking lot. You see it, you do it. Just watch Jim Brown.
Don’t know what to get involved in? Neither did I but here is what I learned.
— Don’t set up road blocks in your mind. Like I would say, “Well, when I have more time or when I retire.”
— Find your nitch. Call it an experiment, then you’ll never fail. We have talents not yet discovered. So try many things. I have taught CPR for 15 years and here I teach Sunday school. I get more joy out of teaching one class of Sunday school than all the years of teaching CPR. I dragged my 14 year old daughter to many things and she gives me the ugh sign. See, what I like isn’t for everyone. Her nitch turned out to be the choir.
— Or maybe it could be a virtue that you can share. Like patience, kindness, generous hugs (Thank you Fritz, Mary Muir, Lamar) or the tender smiles that I have seen on everyone here.
Then I wondered if I found my nitch. Here is how I knew it:
— When it’s a passion, not a duty.
— When it’s an opportunity to stretch my faith and pass it on, not an obligation.
It’s all good. That’s why I keep giving all I can.
- Sandra Phibbs