...of judgement

Read this.

To summarize, a mom was teaching her girls that to give sometimes means to sacrifice. The girls, in all their five year old wisdom, mentioned her purse, which she'd named. So, obediently, to God, she gave. Then someone, probably well meaning, commented that she should have never had such a purse in the first place.

Why is it that some people think that to serve God, means to never have anything nice? We are to walk around in third hand clothes, living in a hut, because our money should go to the poor. Should we not even have money, donating all of our time to God for free?

God said there would always be poor among us. He never said that we had to be among them. If there aren't God fearing people with money serving God, and giving to worthy causes, who do we think is going to support them? He only asks for 10% in most cases, what we do with the rest as long as it's legal and moral is permissable.

I said most cases, because some people are required to give more. Several years ago we gave away our emergency fund. I feel that we were asked to give that, partly because we were quite comfortable with it. If anything were to happen, we had an emergency fund. Well, apparently God needed us to be a little more reliant on Him a little while longer. Every once in awhile, I wish we had an emergency fund, but all the while I know I have God.

I am about to take a very nice vacation, with four kids, by myself. I am going to a very nice place, staying in a very nice hotel, eating in the very nicest restaurants. I am going without a credit card. While I have more cash on hand than I had credit on many of my previous vacations, I have that twinge. What if?

I had become more trusting in Master Card than God, and so several months ago I cut up all of my credit cards. I could probably get them replaced, but I really don't want to. I don't want to hate this vacation. I want to be able to enjoy it, and not have to worry about whether I can go on the next one because I'm still paying for the last one.

Sowing and reaping is a law. Physical and spiritual. You cannot plant corn and get carrots. You plant corn, you get more corn. You plant goodness, you get more goodness. You give up something that you hold dear, whether it a purse or the delusion of credit, you get so much more.

There will be people who will judge a nice Christian woman, taking her nice Christian kids to Sin City for seven days. Why stay in a four diamond hotel downtown, when we could stay at a motorlodge in the boonies? Eating at Wolfgang Puck, when we could feed a village? Oh and I plan to shop. If more than four people read this, there would be someone who would say that the money could be used more wisely. I could be feeding orphans or giving money to the poor. That someone would not know me. The orphans will be fed regularly and the valets tipped well. Feel free to judge, remembering whatever measure you use with me, will be used for you.