Our Treasures

One of the [few] things Wendell and I have consistently done right in life [I think] has to do with giving. We have tried to always be faithful in tithing and in offerings and in alms.

Even when we couldn’t pay all the bills we had wracked up from poor choices and impulsive spending, we gave. I don’t tell you that to brag or to allow my left hand to high-five my right. I have a point.

One day, years ago, we found ourselves in a dire financial condition [again]. I think it was about the time I got my first copy of Quicken. I plugged all our financial data into the debt-calculator and punched the button for results. I got this: Warning: You will NEVER be out of debt. [I’m not kidding. It said that.]

Anyway, Wendell was bemoaning this fact to a friend. “We always give back to God,” he said. “We believe all the money is His anyway, and so we never cheat Him on our tithe. Don’t you think He will honor that?”

Our friend resisted the urge to point out the obvious. If we really believed all our money belonged to God we wouldn’t be blowing the other 90% on things that got us into debt in the first place!

Instead, he said something that rocked our socks. “Oh, yes. God will honor your generosity. But it might not be in the way you think. Maybe you will never be rich or even out of debt. Maybe you will always struggle financially. But maybe your kids will  turn out great.”

[Selah]

And, they have.