Thanks Giving Not Recieving

I just woke up... correction, my son just woke me up for his mid-night-morning cry session. And so that he stops doing that, I am the one who is now in charge of calming him back to sleep(since I have no milky boobs). And, he went back down rather quickly. But for some reason I just couldn't go back to sleep. I was just laying in bed thinking a rather cool thought on this thanksgiving, early morn.

I have a friend Scott who is one of the most generous people I know. I like to tell him that he is meant for great thing because of his generous heart. He has actually given some pretty ridiculously outrageous gifts. And it used to be that I would be able to battle back with some pretty cool ones too. However, with a wife and two little ones, that has changed. Now he is the one who has actually saved us with his generous heart.

But that got me thinking...that shouldn't be. You see I believe that God calls us to love Him, and love others...simple, right? But of late, I have been so concerned with my family's own financial situation that I have worried myself right out of of my...our true calling. I came to a realization that God doesn't want us to work toward a place of giving. He wants us to give without questioning and He will take care of us.

 ⁴¹Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. ⁴²But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins,worth only a fraction of a penny.  ⁴³Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on." Mark 12:41-44

Do Not Worry

 ²⁵"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  ²⁸"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.  Matthew 6:25-34

Jennifer and I have made a decision to take careful consideration in what our needs are, but to not worry about our godly nudges to give to others. He calls us to give. And He tells us not to worry about ourselves...He's got us covered. Not to say don't work hard, just give without worrying. And also not to say this will be easy, at times. But we must persevere for goodness sake.

 ²⁴ One man gives freely, yet gains even more;
       another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
 ²⁵ A generous man will prosper;
       he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
 ²⁶ People curse the man who hoards grain,
       but blessing crowns him who is willing to sell.
 ²⁷ He who seeks good finds goodwill,
       but evil comes to him who searches for it.
 ²⁸ Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,
       but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.
Proverbs 11:24-28

The time to give is now.

The time to love is now.

God, my life is in Your hands.