When life gets tough...

Well it is an amazing thing when the tough get going. We had a wonderful service last Sunday despite the ear cracking volume of the service, no joke. There was an Epiphany for my darlin' and I. The Pastures story went like this...

He was in his car with a growing teenage boy who could eat his house his appetite was so intense. Not uncommon for the age spurt that gives them inches a day on their height. So every hour practically the child was STARVING! So Dad (the Pasture) pulls into a McD. to get the boy some (2) burger meals.

The father (pasture) reaches over for a french fry and the boy clutches the lunch and declares MINE!

Now the father could still of gotten the boy more if needed not a big deal understanding the calorie demand of the boy, yet the boy clutched to it as if it were HIS!

Like we do with our pile. Everyone has a pile called MINE> We do all we can to hold onto it. We figure it is up to us to maintain and micro manage it. MINE! my house,car, life.

Ya, but whose is it really? Who has the power over the elements really? Who is it that holds all of our PILES together and is responsible for it? This is where the choice comes in.

I can KEEP my pile and have all the burden of it or I can entrust God with it. This the epiphany that it is GOD who we will give charge over our pile. Everything we own is his. Every breadth. Not out of fear but out of release. Who really wants the stress and anxiety of clutching onto all with white knuckle desperation. Wondering where every dime and every need is going to come from.

Lately every time I turn around a dime and a penny appear. A whimsical game God and I have played for a good 20+ years. We have given our lives to Christ but have we ever given him our pile. A long time ago I lived in fear that the pile would be taken away. We had a differing belief between us in our finance over the tithe. The DREADED TITHE...so finally trusting I let go and kept an attitude of generosity for years. I came about after years of this fear that the pile would be taken for the lack of the practice of the tithe that I became fearful so much so that white knuckled I changed. ME! the girl with the trunk full of clothes and things we no longer needed and every visit to a friend to the trunk they were taken and we saw the amazing provisions shared and there was never a lack. There is still never a lack.

8 years ago we went down 2/3's in income at the same time adopting our second international adoption. A very scary time for we had began the adoption as the plant that Steve worked at shut down and he was not absorbed a 27 year career gone.  Low man on the pole he began again. It was then that the trunk dried up. " better hold onto the things for never know I may just need them." The pile grew. Stagnant oppressively grew. We began a budget a year or so ago. We became out of debt. WE DID IT  har har...Who? OH WE>>> Who? who? made us able when bills hit unexpectedly? Who?

Our intentions blessed and efforts made yes. For the first time this message has changed hearts so...hands open we are now budgeted for the tithe just as the house payment or utility a priority.
Somehow all the slack in the budget will be covered I know this from a life time of seeing the measure met. The jar of oil never dry or flour pot never empty.

OH THE Peace! of this being out of recognizing that we no longer control but have given control over our pile to God. We will continue to do due diligence. From there?   It will be so fun to see how it will all come around and the pile will balance out to a blessing and not a big old oppressive mess to deal with. I am so happy, so proud of the unity that is now provided on this topic in our marriage and it being out of release and not fear.The leader leading. Put a fire under me that warms me to get a few things sold on Creigs list and clear out some of this accumulation. A warmth to bake bread and set menu, to cut out the fat of the excess.