Giving – No Small Talk

So often we talk about surrendering and giving God “everything”, yesterday on my (very long) ride home I began to think of all the possibilities of life… if I gave “everything” – it was amazing. It is frustrating to think of how it could be, and how much my selfish pride keeps me from doing it.

Many times I feel stuck due to the “responsibilites” of this world – which in a way are part of my “giving everything” – if I’m going to “give” everything I better give these responsibilites to God as well. I think giving him “everything” must include giving him our attitudes towards work, our spouses, our relationships, and all the other responsibilities – and then allowing him to work in those things – not running from them.

It’s time to surrender this stuff, to give God my worries, frustrations, and all the details – I can’t do it anyway. At the same time I have to see what he is asking and how.

One thing I have grown to loath is fund raising. While it’s a pretty needed step in everything God has asked us to do, it isn’t easy. The feeling I get with each request is that I feel like a beggar. I hate it. I know that most people don’t see it as begging, but the feeling doesn’t get better when the responses are either negative or nill. We have had our share of negative responses from people who apparently do not know exactly what we are doing, and haven’t read the things we have done over the years. Thankfully these kinds of responses have slowed down, and in fact the past couple of months we haven’t received a single one.

However the lack of giving, and responses is the most de-motivating, and causes us to rethink our strategy, and especially in the hardest moments our calling. We have only had a handful of very large donations from very few people to support us the past five years, this is incredible and God has shown us amazing provision through this. Yet I still want to believe in Acts, where all the believers shared in everything. Not to toot our own horn and yet gracefully show a point – Alexis and I tithe to our home church and give offerings to four different missions projects, and soon a fifth. We hope to always do this and be consistent, in both financial giving, prayers, and talking/encouraging with our friends abroad.

I’m not really sure what this entry is about, I guess it’s venting, I guess I have a small hope that it will motivate more people to give just a little. It’s difficult to not be a bit discouraged, and believe me, Alexis and I know the truth, and plenty of people love to remind us (the pat statements, you know what I mean)… we know God will provide – it’s just the human factor we’re a bit unsure of right now, both in us, and others.