I dare you!

I have said a thousand times before how important I think it is to give. And by give I mean give monetarily. And with a joyful heart. I have also stated that Chad and I tithe the standard 10% of our income to our church, which is what the Bible instructs us to do. Sometimes, I admit, in my imperfect ways, I have a hard time doing that because I don't always agree with how the church spends our funds. And I am in NO WAY saying that our church mismanages money. I would probably feel that way anywhere I attended. That's the downside to being involved in "church politics". But as Chad always reminds me, we are doing exactly what we are supposed to be doing. Where it goes from there and to whom it goes to is out of our hands. As long as we are giving to our church, the rest is not always any of our business.

With that said, Chad and I also pledge to K-Love. For those who may not know about K-Love, it is a nationally broadcast radio station that plays Christian music. "Positive, encouraging K-Love" is their theme. They have no commercials and are funded by listeners all across the nation to stay on the air 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Chad and I just recently started to pledge about 10 months ago. We started off small, and when Chad was blessed with his new job, we felt led to give a little more. We still don't give a lot per month, but I feel sure with each pledge drive they have every few months, we will give a little more each time. Chad and I both love the station and sometimes it's exactly what I need to get through the day. And in the mornings when I am rushing to work and have neglected to spend any time in meditation and prayer, just listening to K-Love prepares my heart for the day ahead. It is something I believe in, and while I can't help every hurting individual in the world, by giving to something like K-Love, I am a part of something HUGE. A huge, powerful ministry.

As I said in a few posts back, while I was in Nicaragua I felt led to be committed each month to support Baptist Medical and Dental Missions International. Which is the group that we go to Nicaragua through each year. Maybe I was in the heart of the moment, being fresh off the mission field and having a compassionate heart, which doubles in size when I am in Nicaragua, but I decided to step way outside of our comfort zone and become a stakeholder for BMDMI. Let me say, this was a big step. And let me also say, I was a little afraid to tell Chad what I had committed to. You know, he IS an accountant and everything is black and white for him and there is NO "thinking outside of the box" when it comes to our finances. But while I can't be in the mission fields of Honduras or Nicaragua 365 days a year, I can at least support a cause that sends others into the field 365 days a year.

Well, just as I suspected, Chad was a little frustrated with me. Don't get me wrong, Chad has as big a giving heart as anyone I know. But he also balances our checkbook every week and knows what's there and what isn't. Of course, me being what Dave Ramsey considers the "free spirit" in our household, I was not worried one little bit about signing my name on the dotted line and having the money drafted on the 15th of each month. I knew deep in my heart that God would remain faithful to His word. He always has. I knew he would take my measly amount each month (that seems HUGE to us) and doubly bless it.

So, a few weeks went by and I still hadn't sent in my automatic bank draft form to BMDMI, because I wanted to have Chad's blessings first. I knew I had God's. Now I just needed my husband's. Well, lo and behold, what do you think our sermon was about this past Sunday, after I had pulled my stakeholder form back out to keep reminding Chad to pray over it? You guessed it. Giving outside of what we think our means are. God doesn't bless us financially to buy a bigger house, a nicer car, or to buy our kid's designer clothes that they think they will die without. He blesses us to supply our needs and to glorify Him with the rest. I will be the first to admit. I want a bigger house. I want my kids to be well dressed. And I want a nice vehicle to get me from place to place. But I have learned through years of not having a big house, designer clothes, and hand-me-down or used cars that God has something bigger in purpose than making ME happy. Yes, slowly and surely Chad and I are both starting to GET IT.

Oh, I got a little off track. So Chad and I were not sitting together in church Sunday because he helps run the sound every other Sunday, so I was not able to nudge him every time the pastor drove home a point that I had been trying to drive home with Chad. But once we both got home, Chad said, "I know you too well. Don't say anything because I know exactly what you are going to say and I know exactly what you were thinking during the whole service this morning. I know you.". Well, he was right. I had planned on having a discussion with him Sunday afternoon. Then Wednesday, Chad came home with his devotion book, and lightly tossed it to me. "Here, read this", he said. I opened the book. Guess what the FIRST devotion he had decided to read all week was about? Yep. You are on a roll today. It was about giving to missions. I think it was at that point Chad was finally convinced God was practically yelling at him to listen to his wife for once. Needless to say, our first check to BMDMI was written out and mailed first thing Thursday morning.

Everyone has different areas in their lives that they feel compassionate about. For those that are believer's in Christ and believers to change this world FOR Christ, then we should all sweat it out a little bit and get out of our neat, little box. Tithing is the number one thing members of the church are called to do financially. Ten percent of our income is what we are instructed to do. What you do with the rest is up to you. But, God also chooses to bless us according to how we give. I may never have a big house, a fancy car, or shoes to match every outfit and outfit to match every shoe, but by choosing to use my finances for people who may not ever get to LIVE in a house by our standards, or ever even RIDE in a car, or even own a decent pair of shoes, I know I can set an example by doing what I have been called to do. Blessing God's children who aren't so fortunate, because as a child of God myself, I have been blessed. So, I dare you. A few posts back I said I challenge you. This time I dare you. I dare you to step outside that box and just see where God will take you.