Heaven's Windows Opened Up

To be honest, I can't remember if I've written on tithing before, but, even if I have, I'm writing about it again!  A couple nights ago we were continuing to read the next chapter in Barry Cameron's ABC's of Financial Freedom book together and it was all about tithing.  It might seem like a contradiction, but he said in order to get out of debt, you've got to tithe.  Sounds strange, but it is true.  It is a test of your heart and, not only that, it isn't your money in the first place, so you really aren't giving "your" money away - you are giving "God's" money back to the rightful owner.  The cliche "you can't out-give God" is so true.

We didn't used to tithe.  We thought we couldn't afford it.  As if you have to wait until you can afford to tithe, but that was what my husband thought back then.  Then, we had some annoying friend who was much older and wiser than us, challenge us as to what the Bible actually says.  Most like to use the "God likes a cheerful giver" verse to get out of tithing, but Jesus doesn't let you get away with that.  Ten percent is the bare minimum.  In Matt. 23:23, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees, "You give a tenth...but you have neglected the more important matters of the law - justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former."  In other words, Cameron says, "you should have practiced justice and mercy and faithfulness, but don't neglect your tithing."

At first RM was quite ticked at this older man telling us we should tithe.  He was a retired doctor so easy for him to tell us to tithe, RM thought.  We were a young family with just two kids and barely making ends meet (we had already over-extended ourselves early on by buying a house we probably shouldn't have).

The irony is we were in leadership at the church we were going to at that time.  In leadership and not tithing.  How awful.  At one of the leadership meetings shortfalls in the budget were being discussed. How could we as leaders/shepherds of the church expect the sheep to be giving if we were not giving?  Another leader, who we thought was extremely well-off, stood up and said, "I just can't give."  So we weren't the only ones in leadership not giving - terrible!

About this time, in an attempt to make a little extra money, RM had started a small business on the side selling musical instrument pick-ups allowing the musician to amplify their instrument without drilling holes into their violin or guitar.  It was taking off like crazy and we were starting to do really well!  Right around this time of being challenged to tithe, he did the math and realized this little business was bringing in almost exactly 10% of our income.  He remembers being hit as if by a hammer with this realization.  Oh no.

You know what's coming next.  The Holy Spirit started to work - big surprise - and the next thing you know, RM knew he wasn't being obedient.  He wasn't trusting God with "his" money.  He wasn't giving God what was rightfully His.  He knew he had to trust God and start tithing and that's what he did.

I don't know if that's when we first came across the Malachi 3 verse, but I'm pretty sure it was about that time we read how God views tithing...

"Will man rob God?  Yet you are robbing me.  But you say, 'How have we robbed you?'  In your tithes and contributions.  You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nations of you.  Bring the full tithe into the store house, that there may be food in my house.  And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need."

Test Him?  Hadn't thought of that before.  It was probably the next Sunday after realizing our little sideline business was actually supposed to be our tithe money, that we started tithing.  In our minds, at least at first, we thought we were giving away our profit that was supposed to be helping us out so much, but of course that wasn't the case at all.  As soon as we started to tithe, that little sideline business took off even more, starting to pay even our mortgage each month - it was crazy!  It was all sold on e-bay and before long RM became known as a "power seller" by e-bay as he had sold so many products.  He increased his line of products and even went down to Nashville to a music industry trade show at one point because it was doing so well!

This all came back to our minds just a couple nights ago after we read this with the kids.  It was a great reminder and we stopped and talked a lot about it with them that night.  We shared with them the idea of first fruits.  For a long time we'd been trying to give weekly as opposed to when RM would get a cheque, but the problem with that is the payment is so sporadic it is hard to spread it out and make it last.  God really wasn't getting first fruits - i.e., the first 10% off the top.  He was sometimes getting it if we had any left over - that doesn't work.  So RM decided to change his philosophy recently and write the tithe cheque right away.  We talked about that with the kids, too - always trying to explain why.

We even discussed with them that for the second year in a row, we were asking them to go without Christmas presents.  They were on board - again.  Mind boggling.  Re-reading James with them again reminded us of why we made that decision in the first place.

I always pray after we talk about such big things like that, that God would show Himself to our kids, that He would bless them for their obedience.  

Then, yesterday I got a message from my mom that she and Dad wanted to come by in the evening. Great, I said - we're home!  I figured they must be coming from an event and were in the area.  Never thought twice about it.  It worked out that they could pick up some of our pork we were selling.

When they pulled in, they backed up their vehicle to our door as if they were picking up 10 sides of pork, not one.  RM thought that was strange.

When they came in, it was clear they weren't just "in the area".  They had made a specific trip to our place.  They'd been sent, actually.  I do not know how all this came to be, but somehow we were chosen to be the recipients of blessing.  A group of people unbeknownst even to my parents picked us to be the family they would bless this Christmas.  I don't know how they know us.  I don't know how they determine who will get blessed.  I have no idea.   All I know is my parents were sent with an entire car full of food, toiletries, even brand new mittens for every single child in our family.  Bin after bin, bag after bag, was brought in to our home last night.  It was incredible.

I didn't know what to say.  I didn't know what to do!  My kids just kept looking at me with these huge eyes, "What is going on?"  "Mom, this is such a blessing!"  "Mom, this is 6 trips to the grocery store!"  "Mom, where are we supposed to put all this?"  I had no answers.  I was completely speechless as was RM.

At first I said to my mom, crying, of course, always crying, "Why?  I don't feel we deserve this?! Have I communicated that we are so poor somehow?  Someone else should get this!"  She stopped me again and again, "They chose you. They want to bless you and your family." 

Immediately the passage from Malachi came into my mind, that when God wants to He can open the windows of heaven and pour down blessing whenever and wherever He wants.  Was that what He was doing?  Even this morning, I'm still in shock and I said to RM, "There is no space for all this food! It really is as if I did several shops in one!"  He said it's even a savings in gas to all the stores, which is so true, not to mention the time it always takes me to shop for our large family.  I'm in awe.

I don't know who to even thank.  From what I understand this comes from a group of people who seek to bless different families each year, anonymously, that the Lord puts on their hearts I guess. You could tell it wasn't a random act of giving.  They had approached my mom and found out the ages of our children so they bought knowing exactly who are family was and purchased accordingly. It was obvious, as each child, right down to the correct size of mitts, got a really beautiful pair of mittens - 8 mittens, even a toddler size for our littlest!  Not only that, but they purchased everything in bulk.  I didn't get one bag of milk, but probably 5 or 6.  I didn't get one box of cereal, but several jumbo sizes.  I didn't get a package of ground beef, but all sorts of different kinds of meat!  It just went on and on.  They even bought us shampoo in the very kind I use!!!!   How did they know that?! Who are these angels?!

I think it is safe to say God answered my prayers.  My kids kept saying, "Mom, this is such a blessing!"  They saw God work.  Of course, my natural reaction and certainly this is the case for my husband, too, is that we were humbled....again.  Being on the receiving end of something like this makes you feel strange at first as your pride gets in the way.  I've had to fight that a little bit.  God stepped in and pushed me out of the way and seemed to say, "I'm going to bless you in spite of your pride.  I know what you need more than you do and your kids need to see what I'm about to do."  My kids were blown away and some of them went to bed with their new mitts on their hands because they loved them so much.  It was sweet.

I guess it is one thing to read about heaven's windows being opened up.  It is quite another to be on the receiving end of that blessing.  Whoever did this needs to know how grateful we are - thank you, thank you, thank you.  If I ever doubted whether or not you can out-give God, I think I've learned, you can't.